Fire Emblem Rifts
by FirebatRay
Summary: Set 1,000 years before Fire Emblem Awakening around the period known as the Schism. After Altean Prince, Marth, was crowned the king of Archanea, the continent experienced a period of peace and prosperity. But the peace did not last forever as the continent is now embroiled in a crisis that will dictate its fate for the next hundred years!
1. The Sokols

Darkness. Nothing but darkness.

That was what this silver-haired young man found himself in.

Surrounded by dark silhouettes of people, the young man holds his iron sword tightly

"What are you fighting for?" several disembodied voices chanted

"Huh?" the silver-haired man responded as some of the dark silhouettes attack

"What are you fighting for?" they chanted again as the young man cuts down several of the silhouettes

After cutting down a number silhouettes, a gigantic silhouette of a dragon emerges from the darkness

With 3 pairs of wings and several glowing red eyes, not to mention the sheer size of the creature, the young man couldn't help but tremble as this gigantic beast unleashes a loud roar.

"Do you truly believe in your cause?" the dragon said in a twisted voice as it unleashes a gigantic fireball upon a crowd of silhouettes, annihilating them.

"What is real? What is fake?" the dragon said as he attempts to eat the young man "Who are YOU?!"

The man screams as he charges towards the dragon

* * *

The young man quickly opens his eyes.

He rises from his bed and looks around him, it was a small room

"Roan?" a female voice asked knocking at the door

"Come in" the man replied

A red-haired woman enters the room

"What is it, Lissette?" Roan asked

"A bandit raid" Lissette responded "Not too far from here"

"Another one? Where?"

"Lochfield Port"

Roan sighs. "I swear these bandits are getting more and more brazen lately… It's not right"

"I know… I guess the Queen's new policies only improved certain regions of the continent"

"Well… No use discussing about politics. Gather the other Sokols, we mobilize as soon as possible"

"Right!"

 **Lochfield Port, Northern Archanea**

The small port town burns as the citizens scream and run from the marauding bandits

"Forget the small fry" a berserker woman commanded "Start taking valuables and loading them to the carriage. Those Royals are sure to arrive any minute"

The bandits then begin to break windows and steal whatever valuables they can find

In the outskirts of town, Roan arrives with 5 other soldiers.

"They don't waste time" Roan remarked "Marian. Scout the town and rescue anyone needing help"

"Ok" the dark-haired Pegasus knight responded as she flies towards the burning town

"Brine, Chris, Lorelei, Lissette. Let's move"

Entering town, the Sokols are immediately assaulted by the bandits

The white-haired war monk, Chris, charges forward and throws his hand axe at several bandit archers

The hooded outlaw, Lorelei, assaults another group with her iron bow

"Brine" Roan commanded as he incapacitates an attacking bandit "Support Chris and Lorelei! Evacuate any townsfolk if you find them!"

The brown-haired tactician nods as he clears a group of bandits with a wind spell while Roan and Lissette presses on further.

The duo continue to fight their way through town.

"These guys are well trained…!" Roan remarked as he fights a myrmidon and a thief with an iron sword

"Roan!" Lissette said as she blocks a surprise strike from a cavalier's lance.

"Thanks" Roan responded as he continues engaging the 2 bandits

Lissette quickly blocks the cavalier's thrusts with her iron lance and after some time, manages to pull him from his horse

The bandit attempts another series of attacks that Lissette easily dodges and hits the man's helmet with the wooden part of her lance, stunning the bandit giving him enough time to incapacitate him

Meanwhile, Roan manages to kick the myrmidon between the legs and punches his face, knocking him out.

The thief then unleashes a flurry of attacks on the young man, who narrowly dodges all of them

Lissette enters the fray and alternates in attacking the thief with Roan

But the young woman struggles to keep up with the thief's speed

Roan quickly picks up a rock and throws it at the thief

The rock hits his knee, causing him to lose his balance a bit

Lissette quickly swings her lance to the left, hitting the man's stomach with the wooden part of her lance

He recoils and Roan hits him in the head with the hilt of his swords

"These guys are tougher than the other bandits we've faced before" Roan remarked "They're not your regular band of bandits"

"Watch out!" Lissette said as she pushes Roan out of a fireball's path

A bandit mage emerges from one of the burning buildings and proceeds to cast fireball and lightning spells at the duo, who narrowly dodge all of them

Out of the blue, Marian sweeps down with her Pegasus, catching the bandit off-guard and narrowly missing him

The Pegasus knight then ascends as the bandit counterattacks with lightning spells

She quickly switches her iron lance with a javelin as she dodges one lightning bolt after another

Dodging the bandit's attacks, Marian carefully aims her javelin

After dodging a lightning spell, the Pegasus knight throws her weapon

The bandit attempts to cast a lightning spell on the weapon but his book fails to cast it

With no time to switch books, the bandit jumps out of the way, narrowly dodging the javelin

Before he could grab his wind spell book, Marian quickly closes the distance and points her iron lance at the bandit, who surrenders.

After restraining the bandits, the trio moves on

They soon reach the town hall

Waiting for them was a female berserker, armed with a tomahawk.

"You, Royals, came faster than expected" the woman said with a condescending tone

"Who are you?" Roan asked "Are you the leader of these bandits?"

"Bandits?" the woman responded with a laugh "Are all you Royal army boneheads really this oblivious?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the policies our little 'Queen' has passed. You think everything she does is for the benefit of this kingdom of ours?"

"The Queen is doing her best for the people! What have you done? It's because of criminals like you that parts of Archanea are still in turmoil!"

"Naïve little bastard… You're all blind. Can't even tell the difference between King Richard's policies and Queen Lani's 'reforms'!"

The woman charges at the trio, alone

She throws her tomahawk at Roan, who dodges it, embedding the weapon to the road

Marian charges forward and attacks the woman, who easily dodges all of her attacks as the woman kept on running to the tomahawk

With the berserker getting closer to her weapon, Lissette steps forward and attacks the bandit

The bandit jumps, dodging Lissette's lance and presses forward.

Marian turns around and goes after the bandit once more.

But the bandit manages to grab her tomahawk and parry the Pegasus knight's attack.

Roan also charges forward but the bandit easily parried or dodged his strikes

Despite the trio attacking the bandit at the same time, the berserker proved to be a capable fighter, parrying and dodging all of their attacks

"Tch" the bandit said as she spots the other Sokols running in the distance "More Royals"

She then signals her men to attack with some archers targeting Roan, Lissette, and Marian.

"They're loaded ma'am!" one of the archers shouted

Grinning, the berserker and her accomplices retreat back to a carriage, filled with stolen loot, and drives off into the nearby forest.

Roan and the others attempt to give chase but the remaining bandits blocked their path.

"Marian!" Roan commanded "Go after them!"

"On it!" Marian responded as she gives chase

* * *

Dodging arrows and javelins, the Pegasus knight maintains her pursuit

She then notices something moving fast through the trees

Seconds later, a wyvern bursts through the woodland and engages the Pegasus knight with a steel axe

Marian struggles to hold her own as the wyvern rider demonstrated superior skill and speed.

He then brings out a hand axe and throws it

Marian instinctively dodges but notices, too late, that the berserker woman threw her tomahawk

The Pegasus knight scrambles to dodge but she wasn't fast enough as the weapon injures her Pegasus' legs

"Ina!" Marian exclaimed as her Pegasus cries in pain

The wyvern rider then flies past her and grabs the tomahawk midair

"Leave now" he said in a deep menacing voice

Having little choice, Marian retreats

* * *

"I'm sorry, Captain" Marian reported as Chris heals her Pegasus "I was attacked by a wyvern rider and-"

"It's ok" Roan interrupted "Good thing you retreated. I would have ordered you to do the same. Thanks to that, you and your Pegasus are safe and sound"

Marian blushes and smiles. "Thank you, Captain"

"We managed to capture some of the bandits, at least" Lissette said

"Yeah…" Roan responded "But we need to double our efforts to maintain the peace"

As Roan looks at the damaged town, someone calls him.

"Captain Roan!" a young man said as he emerges from some buildings on horseback

"A messenger?" Roan wondered "What brings you here?"

"I have a message from the Queen, herself" the messenger replied "She requests your presence immediately"

"What for?"

"I was not told why"

"Alright then. Lissette. Have everyone pack up and get ready. It's a few weeks of walking to get back to the capital"


	2. Fusca

1,000 years ago, the Hero King, Marth, united the entire continent under 1 rule. After centuries of conflict, the continent finally knew peace…

Marth's successors were all proven to be as benevolent and caring as he was during the War of Shadows and the War of Heroes.

But now…

* * *

 **Menedy (Former Gra Border)**

 **Royal Academy Training Grounds**

"Hey" a young lady said "You heard about what happened to King Richard?"

"The late king?" a young lad replied "He died a few months ago, right? I heard he died from some illness or something"

"That's what was officially told but from what I hear, there's some kind of conspiracy"

"Conspiracy?"

"Yeah. Ever wondered why bandit raids and rebellions suddenly started popping up around the continent shortly after the king died? They say these events are related to the king's death"

"Come on. You can't honestly believe these tales now, can you?"

"I know but it just boggles the mind, you know. After his wife, Queen Lani, took over, the continent is suddenly plagued by bandits and rebels. I know it sounds like a series of coincidences but you gotta admit that these conspiracies are still possible, right?"

"Yeah… But don't let the general hear you say that. He'll execute you himself"

"Yeah… You got that right. Hey speaking of the general, I hear he's not even from Archanea, any truth in that?"

"That one is true. From what I hear he's from the Eastern Continent"

"The Eastern Continent huh… You mean where those kingdoms are from right?

"Yeah."

The two then stopped talking for some time as the young lady laid on her bed.

"Hey, Aiken" the young lad said "The General has some pretty weird tactics and weapons huh…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean just look at these… uh… these…?"

"…Rifles"

"Right, rifles! That's the one. Pretty weird weaponry if you ask me. I mean it's heavier than a bow and it needs a lot more practice and training to use properly"

"Damn Maya… After all this time, you still haven't fully grasped how to properly fire a rifle yet?"

"It's not really that but rather… um… more like… it all feels weird to me…"

"What's weird?"

Maya scratches her head. "You know um… this whole thing. The rebellions, the new weapons… everything…"

"You know, Maya… You keep that up and the general will really execute you…"

"Well… We can't all be star students like a certain someone I know…"

"You're just jealous that I'm better than you in tactics and strategy"

"Oh? Is that a challenge? Care to put your money where your mouth is, little boy?"

"Little boy? Heh… So, the usual wager?"

"Yep. Next training exercise. Loser treats the winner to a fancy meal in town"

"You're on"

The two shake hands and laugh for a bit.

Suddenly, the barracks door opens and the cadets quickly fall into formation as an individual, wearing a blue uniform, appears through the door.

The 20 cadets stand in attention with their rifles on the sides.

"Break's over" the man said in a deep voice "Head to the training grounds. Move!"

The cadets comply, exiting the barracks.

Outside, the cadets form up as the man addresses his recruits.

"For this exercise, I'll be testing everything that you've learned so far. You will be split into two teams. Your goal is to eliminate the entire enemy force. All of you will be given specialized bullets that will not cause any harm to you but will be quite painful on impact so do not hold back, am I clear?"

"Yes General!" the cadets responded

"Alright. I'll be assigning teams to each of you. Prepare yourselves and know that how you perform in this exercise will determine your worthiness to join the Sparrows unit"

"You hear that, Maya?" Aiken whispered in a hush tone "We're almost there"

"Yep" Maya replied "But our wager still stands, right?"

Aiken gives a confident smile as he is assigned to a different team from Maya.

* * *

As the cadets begin their exercise, the general stands in the sidelines, watching the mock battle unfold

"How goes the training?"

The general turns around. "Mathis. What brings you here?"

"Just checking on a comrade. Is that wrong of me, Kyle?"

"No. But don't you have your own set of recruits to train back in Macedon?"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. So how goes this batch of recruits?"

"Mostly regular like the rest. Nevertheless, it's actually impressive that you, Archaneans, managed to adapt to the new weaponry and tactics so fast"

"Heh... Well I guess you underestimated us Archaneans. How long has it been since your rifles first entered into service? 10?"

"11 to be exact"

The duo then stopped talking for a time, watching the recruits in battle as the sound of gunfire echoes throughout the camp.

"Say Mathis" Kyle said, breaking the silence "Why do you think these rebellions keep on popping up?"

"What?"

"I've read up on Archeanea's history, specifically their war history, and I must say that it intrigues me especially this 'Hero-King' of yours. It makes me wonder why people are so unhappy today"

* * *

 **Pales, Archanea**

 **Palace of the Hero-King:**

Roan, Lissette, and Marian kneel before the Queen, seated some feet away in a lavish throne.

"You summoned us, your highness?" Roan asked, still kneeling

"Stand" Queen Lani said "I will get to the point. My informants tell me of a possible uprising in Gra"

"Gra, your majesty?"

"Yes. I need your unit to station near the Royal Academy for some time and quell any rebellion that may arise"

"It will be done"

"Very good. You will also be working with the Sparrows unit. I have already sent word. Now go and do your duty"

"At once, your majesty"

 **Sokols Barracks, Pales**

"Gra huh…" Brine said

"Yeah" Roan replied "The Queen believes that a rebellion may arise in the area and she wants us to keep an eye out for em"

"The Queen's been awfully jumpy these days" Chris remarked while sharpening his axe "Did you guys ever wonder why these rebellions keep popping up?"

* * *

"What do you mean?" Mathis asked

"You all revere the deeds of this Hero-King, Marth, and his armies 1,000 years ago and yet now, many stand to undo his legacy. It all began or, at least, intensified after King Richard's death"

"You think the King's death had anything to do with the uprisings?"

"Could be… Richard was a good friend of mine… Sad that he died so young"

"Yeah… But that's in the past. What matters now is that we continue to protect the Hero-King's legacy and put down the rebels. That's the least we can do to pay our respects to King Marth"

"I guess you're right…"

* * *

"Enough talk" Roan interrupted "We're the Sokols and we-"

"Are a special unit designed to maintain peace and order throughout the kingdom" Chris interrupted

"Chris… I can see why those monks chose to kick you out of their order"

"Hey! I chose to leave that order on my own!"

"Anyway, I don't want anyone talking about these rumors and gossips. The last thing I want from this unit is for everyone to believe in hearsay, especially ones that talk badly about the kingdom. Am I clear?"

"Yes" everyone responded

"Good. Prepare to leave in a few hours. It will take days to reach Gra"

* * *

"Ha! I win again!" Maya said triumphantly as she aims her rifle at Aiken, who has his back on the ground "I guess you owe me some food"

"Rgh…" Aiken grunted as Maya helps him up "You're crazy, you know that"

"Hehe!"

"That was a dumb move you pulled off"

"You mean the same one that got you and your squad to lose the match?"

"Pfft. I'd hardly call that as a tactic, let alone strategy. All you did was spur the remaining members of your squad to charge straight to us. You won but you sustained heavy losses. A pyrrhic victory if you ask me"

"But a victory no less! All is fair in love and war, dear! Hehe! I'm so excited for dinner tonight!"

Meanwhile, Kyle and Mathis opted to stay where they were and continue their conversation.

"Your recruits are crazy" Mathis remarked chuckling "I never seen anyone with enough guts and charisma to command her to troops to charge to almost certain death"

"And yet she attained victory" Kyle replied "She knew that there is a certain time frame between shots and she exploited that. Given that she lost many men, she saw through one of the rifle's weaknesses"

"And what is that?"

"Our rifles are bolt action and the bullets need to be manually ejected per shot which makes riflemen slower compared to archers, bowmen, and snipers. She exploited that one weakness, took a chance, and won"

"Yeah but sustaining that many losses has to have its own set of consequences"

"True but that's what the other one is for?"

"Other one?"

"That recruit's name is Maya and the other one I'm referring to is named Aiken. Both recruits actually caught my attention"

"How so?"

"One is a cautious strategist, the other is an unpredictable yet effective fighter"

"Interesting… And…?"

"Well both individuals are brilliant in their own way but they have an excess of their respective strengths which may lead to problems in the future. The strategist is too cautious which makes him lose several chances of attaining victory while the fighter is far too reckless as she relies mostly on luck and too much on her abilities"

"So then why did you take note of those two?"

"Because there is strength in weakness"

"What?"

Before Kyle could respond, a messenger arrives. "General Kyle!"

"What is it?" the General responded

"An insurrection, sir! The workers at the Platinum mines staged an uprising!"

"Mine workers huh…" Mathis said "Do you have any idea who they are?"

"I do not know, sir. But some of them kept on chanting the word 'taguel' over and over again"

"Taguel… Those half-human, half-beast things?"

"Seems so…" Kyle responded "How did they acquire the means to rebel?"

"We are not entirely sure but those that escaped said that shortly before the uprising, the miners found several peculiar stones"

"Peculiar stones?" Mathis said "It can't be dragonstones, right? Only manaketes can use them"

"It shouldn't be" Kyle said as he gets on his horse "Nevertheless, we have an uprising in our hands"

"Are you planning on sending your recruits into battle?" Mathis asked

"Of course. Don't worry they will also have the support of the actual Sparrows besides what better way to train them than actual combat, right?"

* * *

 **Platinum Mines (Former Gra territory):**

"And here I thought we could relax for a bit after that long march…" Chris sarcastically remarked

"Nothing we can do about it" Brine said "Let's do what we came here to do"

"Roan" Marian reported "I spotted another army headed this way"

"Another army?" Lissette wondered

"Must be the Sparrows unit" Roan responded "The Queen did mention them to be in the area"

"I guess that means we can postpone introduction for later"

The Sokols quickly assumed battle positions as Kyle emerges from the forest on horseback

"Commander Roan of Sokols, I presume" the general said

"You must be the Sparrows Unit Commander, Kyle" Roan responded shaking the general's hand

"Yes well… I'd like to have a nice chat with you after all this is over"

"It would be an honor sir"

"Anyway, this mine is pretty big and we have an unusual number of insurgents all of a sudden… I'll have my unit take care of the insurgents in the outer areas. I'll leave the mine itself and the insurgent leader to you"

"The leader is inside the mines?"

"My scouts say so. Also, I will have 2 of my newest recruits to work alongside you"

"Very generous of you, General"

"Haha. Don't worry. They may be trainees but I can vouch for their skills"

"Alright. So who are these recruits?"

"Allow me to introduce Aiken and Maya, 2 of my best riflemen trainees"

"Aiken?!" Marian exclaimed

"Marian?!" Aiken shouted at the same time

"Hey!" Marian responded "That's 'big sister' to you!"

"You two know each other?" Roan asked

"Yes" Marian answered "He's my little brother"

"Right well" Kyle interrupted "What a small world we live in. But we don't have much time. We have to mobilize and quell this uprising. Aiken. Maya. Follow Commander Roan's orders and DO NOT show off"

"Yes General" the two recruits responded as Kyle rides off

"So these are the so called rifles I've heard so much about" Brine remarked, examining Aiken and Maya's rifles.

"Aiken" Marian said "You didn't tell me you enlisted in the Sparrows units after graduation"

"Well…uh…" Aiken replied "I wanted to surprise you and I was intrigued with the new weapons and uh…"

"Ok" Roan interrupted "We can get to know each other later. For now, we have an uprising to quell. Let's move!"

* * *

 **Foreman's Cabin:**

"What can you tell me about the area?" Roan asked

"The mine's design is pretty unique" Brine answered pointing at the map "Instead of a single linear corridor extending downward with several supporting tunnels, this one is built like a tower. A spiral-like design that descends downwards with tunnels along the way and these tunnels connect to one another which makes for multiple ways to go around the mine"

"That makes the battle a bit more complicated" Roan said "We can't cover all the tunnels at the same time even if we split up… You two, Sparrows recruits, where's the leader?"

"We're not entirely sure" Aiken responded as he points at a certain area on the map "But the scouts reported she was last seen here. If I may Commander Roan, I have a suggestion"

"What is it?"

"It seems that something has emboldened the rebels. Reports are scattered but the surviving guards reported that they were attacked by animals"

"Animals?"

"Yes. To be more specific, gigantic wolves, bears, and others"

"That's a pretty weird story… So what are you trying to propose?"

"I don't think we need to cover all of the tunnels to find the rebels. I think they will come to us"

"So you're suggesting a frontal assault?"

"No sir. I suggest that we move from tunnel to tunnel and funnel the rebels into a choke point. This would make it easier for us to fight them"

"Choke point huh… What do you think, Brine?"

"It could work" Brine replied "But… I don't think the rebels would continue attacking after realizing that we're utilizing a choke point and they may have better knowledge of this area than we do which would make it easier for them to conduct ambushes or counterattacks"

"So what do you propose?"

"I think a frontal assault is in order. We charge through the enemy ranks and fight to the last known location of the leader. I believe that if we take down the leader, the enemy's morale will be severely reduced, if not completely gone"

"Pretty risky but it could work"

"Commander Roan, forgive me but are you sure about this?" Aiken interjected "It seems very risky"

"Kid. One thing you should learn in the battlefield is that you can't always be cautious"

* * *

"Come at me, you bastards!" a lone silver-haired Taguel woman shouted from the pit at the bottom of the mine "Face the might of a proud Taguel!"

"Only one?" Aiken remarked

"Something's not right" Roan said "Marian. I need you to keep watch from above. The rest of you move slowly downwards and keep watch for anything."

"Yes sir!" everyone said, complying

Half way through the path, the Sokols have yet to encounter a single enemy.

"She's just standing there…" Lissette remarked

"Yeah…" Maya responded "… And has anyone noticed that there are a couple of crows here…"

As the group nears a connecting tunnel, Lorelei notices something in the distance.

Without a second thought, the outlaw draws her bow and fires an arrow.

It hits the shoulder of a hidden archer.

"It's a trap!" she shouted as Brine notices movement in the tunnels

"You got that right" he said as he uses a wind spell to push the ambushers back

"Battle positions!" Roan commanded "Everyone! Stay alert and continue onward! Let's move!"

With their cover blown, the rebel miners emerge from their hiding spots and charge at the Sokols, crying out "freedom!" in the process.

Minutes pass and the Sokols reached the 3rd tunnel. It was then that the attacks stopped.

"They're retreating!" Marian reported from above

"More like regrouping" Brine responded as he notices the rebels gathering at the bottom of the mine "Looks like this is their last stand"

"Something's wrong, Maya" Aiken whispered

"What is it?" Maya replied

"Why would the rebels prepare a last stand when we are only half way through the mine?"

"Maybe they've ran out of men to throw at us"

As the two continue to whisper, the ground begins to shake.

"What's going on?" Chris uttered, holding his axe tightly

"You see anything, Marian?" Roan asked

"No" the Pegasus knight replied "Nothing u-"

Before she could finish, one of the crows suddenly changes form.

"Marian! Watch out!" Roan shouted as a Taguel man lands on top of her.

The man punches Marian in the face, causing a struggle between the two.

But the knight refuses to back down as she retaliates with a head-butt, disorienting the man.

Marian then orders her Pegasus to swing to the side, causing the man to fall.

But the man quickly changes into a crow again and as Marian tries to catch her breath, the other crows begin their assault on her.

Roan and the others attempt to help Marian as the ground begins to shake violently.

"Roan!" Lissette shouted as a mole-like creature bursts from the ground "Behind you!"

The lancer quickly parries a strike from the creature.

"Thanks" Roan said as he and Lissette stand back-to-back.

With a nod from Roan, the duo engage several creatures together.

"What are these things?!" Aiken exclaimed as he dodges a strike from one of the creatures.

Acting fast, Aiken fires his rifle at the creature, incapacitating it.

"Come on, Maya!" Aiken shouted as Maya replies with "Right!"

But before the two riflemen could provide support, several wolves emerge from the cliffs above and attacks the riflemen and Lorelei in melee combat.

"Maya!" Aiken shouted

Maya nods and fights the Taguels with her rifle's bayonet. She holds off several of them giving Aiken enough time to fire a few shots, incapacitating some of the rebels.

Unable to properly cast a spell, Brine switches his book for an iron sword.

Lorelei struggled to dodge every attack the Taguels threw at her while trying to fire her own arrows at them.

She is eventually pounced by a wolf and uses her bow to keep it from biting her neck.

She struggles to keep the wolf at bay as her strength slowly diminishes.

She grunts as the wolf's teeth got closer and closer.

"Hey!" Chris shouted as he rams the wolf, sending it flying a few feet.

"Are you ok?" he asked, helping Lorelei up

Lorelei doesn't utter a word and with Chris' support, she manages to hold off several Taguels.

"Move!" Roan shouted as he swings his sword left and right "If we take the leader, maybe they'll lose the will to fight!"

Heavy fighting ensues as the Sokols slowly made their way to the bottom while being assaulted by the Taguel Rebels.

Upon nearing the bottom, the Taguels quickly regroup with the rest of the rebels, giving the Sokols some time to catch their breaths.

"This… is not good…" Chris remarked while healing the Sokols with his staff.

"These Taguel may have found something that allows them to change form…" Brine remarked "… Something similar to a manakete using a dragonstone…"

* * *

Meanwhile, General Kyle and his Sparrows unit engage the other rebels in the forest and plains surrounding the mine.

"Form up!" Kyle commanded as his men open fire on the rebels "Don't let them surround you!"

"Sir!" a Sparrows rifleman said "Enemy cavaliers are approaching from the plains!"

Kyle quickly turns his horse to the left. "Hold this flank. Do not let the enemy breach this line"

The General then gallops to the frontlines.

Reaching the front, the General spots a large number of cavalry units in the distance.

"Formation!" he commanded "2 lines! 1st line prepare to fire on my mark!"

The soldiers form up and ready their rifles as Kyle positions himself at the very front of the line.

On horseback, Kyle aims his rifle. "Steady!" he shouted as the enemy approaches at full speed.

As the enemy force draws closer, the soldiers begin to tremble a bit as Kyle continues shouting "Steady!"

The ground begins to shake as the enemy cavaliers quickly close the distance with the riflemen and yet, Kyle continues to shout "Steady!"

Seconds turn into minutes as the soldiers were hyped up with adrenaline but unable to act without Kyle's word.

Suddenly, Kyle shouts "FIRE!"

Without a second thought, the riflemen open fire, unleashing a volley on the approaching units.

Many cavaliers went down but more were still coming.

"SECOND LINE!" Kyle shouted "FIRE!"

A second volley rains on the enemy, incapacitating more enemies however, it was not enough to eliminate all of them.

"Ready for melee combat!" Kyle commanded as he switches his rifle for a steel katana.

His men do the same, switching their rifles for regular iron swords.

"No fear!" Kyle shouted as he points his sword towards the enemy cavaliers "CHARGE!"

Kyle charges first as his men follow suit and loud battle cries echo throughout the area.

* * *

Back in the mines, the Taguel woman confront the Sokols.

"You must be the leader" Roan said "We wish no further bloodshed. Surrender now and we can end this peacefully!"

The woman leers. "You Archaneans talk of peace and yet you enslave us! You torture us! Peace? Pah! I spit on your so called 'peace'!"

"Please. Enough blood has been spilled here… We promise that you shall be treated fairly!"

"Promise? Fairly?! Since when did you Archaneans ever fulfilled a promise! You spouted those same lies years ago and we believed you. What was our reward? Slavery!"

"Slavery?" Brine wondered "I never heard the kingdom do such a thing"

"Neither did I…" Roan muttered

"But you are right, Archanean!" the woman continued "Enough blood has been spilled! Which is why I must do this! To arms, my brothers!"

The woman then brings out a glowing stone and transforms into a rabbit-like creature.

With a loud cry, the remaining rebels charge towards the Sokols.

"Everyone!" Roan said "Keep the other rebels busy. I'll take on their leader!"

The Sokols nod as they charge towards the rebels.

Marian pressed forward and kept the Taguel crows at bay, with support from Aiken and Maya's rifles.

Chris charges forward and engages the rebels protecting their leader, with Brine using a mix of fire and lightning spells to fend off the Taguel wolves.

Roan and Lissette charge through the battle, ignoring the other rebels.

With their target in sight, the duo prepares their weapons as several rebels attempt to intercept the two.

Lorelei quickly uses her bow to take down the intercepting rebels, giving Roan and Lissette a window of opportunity to engage the rebel leader.

The leader quickly curls into a ball and charges towards the duo.

Both jumps to the side, evading the Taguel's attack.

The leader quickly turns around and attacks Roan with a flurry of spins and claw strikes with Roan parrying each attack.

Lissette quickly comes to her captain's aid.

She swings her lance against the leader, who quickly rolls out the way.

The duo then alternate between attacking and defending one another.

"Please!" Roan said "We can end the violence now. You just need to surrender!"

"Surrender would mean tarnishing my pride as a Taguel" the leader replied as she transform back into a human

"What do you hope to gain from all this?"

"Freedom!"

The woman then unsheathes two swords and resumes her assault on the duo.

"For a miner…" Lissette said as she and Roan parry the leader's attacks "… she's a skilled fighter!"

"I know…" Roan replied "… Time to get serious, Lissette!"

Jumping back, the duo nod at one another.

Lissette holds her lance tightly and charges towards the leader.

She swings her spear which the leader jumps out of the way.

The leader counter attacks with a strike from the air.

Lissette parries the attack and ends up in a deadlock with the leader, both struggling to overpower the other.

The leader's attention then shifts to Roan, who was coming from behind.

She quickly lets go of her swords and transforms into her rabbit form.

She engages Roan with a flurry of quick attacks.

Roan parries each blow, while taking one step back each time.

Eventually, the Lord grabs one of the leader's fallen swords.

Roan then unleashes a flurry of attacks, forcing the leader to go on the defensive.

Getting the upperhand, Roan relentlessly attacks the leader until he damages her enough to undo her transformation.

Roan quickly pins her to the ground and points his sword at her.

Almost immediately, the fighting stops as all the fighters stop and stare at the scene.

"It's over" Roan said "Surrender"

The leader snarls. "I cannot… I cannot allow my people to continue being slaves"

"Slaves… Do you truly want to prove the worth of your people?"

"What?"

"I offer you a chance to show the power and pride of your race"

"Another lie?"

"No lies. I offer you to join my unit, the Sokols"

"Join you? To do what? Do more atrocities and murders?"

"My unit does none of that as you have witnessed here. True that some of your allies died but believe me when I say that I had hoped for a more peaceful solution. Besides, you have my word that I shall speak to the Queen about the rights that your people deserve"

"What assurance can you give me that you will uphold your word, human?"

"Nothing... Just me asking you to believe in me and join me"

The leader lay there silent.

"What is your name?" Roan asked

"… Fauna" the leader replied

"Well Fauna. Think about my offer and I shall show you that I always keep my word"

"What?"

"Until then, you and your friends must face for your crimes"

Roan steps aside, revealing to Fauna the sight of Kyle and his Sparrows surrounding the top part of the mine.

"Hey Roan!" Kyle shouted "You need help?"

Roan chuckles a bit. "No. I got this!"

"What should we do, Fauna?" a rebel Taguel asked clenching his beaststone

Fauna notices that her men are shaking but are not letting go of their weapons. They appear to be scared but ready to fight to the death.

"You. Human" she said standing up

"Yes?" Roan responded

"Will you truly do what you had promised?"

"You have my word"

Fauna closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Everyone. Lay down your weapons. There is no use in continuing the fight"

"Fauna?!" the rebels said, shocked

"We cannot win this battle…" Fauna replied "I do not wish to sacrifice all of you… Human. What is your name?"

"Roan"

"Roan… I will trust your words but know this. If you lie, I swear to you that I shall unleash righteous vengeance upon you"

"Got it"

After the two exchanged words, the remaining rebels surrendered and are immediately arrested.

* * *

 **The next day**

 **Royal Academy Training Grounds**

 **Meeting room:**

"Taguel slaves, you say?" Kyle said as he sips some tea "I never heard the kingdom engage in such activities before… Well at least during King Richard's time"

"The late king's time?" Roan wondered

"Yes… I was actually good friends with him"

"Oh…"

"Anyway, this is worth investigating… I don't think the kingdom would actually do these kinds of activities. I suspect some corrupt noble is behind this"

"Thank you, General"

Roan then stands up and begins to walk towards the door.

"Oh before you leave" Kyle said "I want you to take Maya with you"

"Maya?" Roan wondered "One of your recruits? Are you sure?"

"Yes. She's a wild young lady. Wild yet brilliant. I think she's demonstrated herself quite well in the field"

"Um… Thank you sir but why?"

"She needs to learn more about the world. My unit won't be able to teach her what I want her to learn"

"What she wants to learn?"

"Don't worry about it. Just do your work as usual. She'll find it herself in due time"

"Um… Ok…"

As Roan leaves the room, the general sits down in front of his desk and begins to write a letter, his mind filled with the events that transpired the day before…

The general then brings out a small flag…

"Very interesting…" he muttered "The old flag of Talys… This could explain how the miners got their weapons…"

* * *

"Aw…" Maya said with a sad look "I'm being reassigned to Sokols…"

"Why are you sad about it?" Aiken replied "The Sokols are an elite squad. You should be proud"

"Yeah but I'll be separated from you…"

"Oh please… This is an opportunity for you to learn… and grow"

"Oh AIKEN!"

"Argh! Stop! No! D-Don't hug me!"

"B-But I'm going to miss you!"

In a short distance away, Lissette chuckles as Marian sighs.

"Your brother's not the 'fun' type now, is he?" Lissette said chuckling

"He's a serious academic, actually" Marian replied "Haven't heard much from the family these past few days…"

"Is it because of all the assignments being given to us?"

"Yeah… Constantly going all around the continent… We have so little time to spend with our families. How about you, Lissette. Don't you miss your family sometimes?"

"My family…"

Lissette's expression becomes serious.

"Lissette?" Marian said as she noticed the change in Lissette

"Ah… No it's nothing…" Lissette responded with an awkward laugh "I-I'm getting back to the barracks. It's time to conduct maintenance on my lance"

As Lissette walks towards the barracks, Marian has a worried look in her face.


	3. Insurrection

**Pales, Archanea**

It was all dark… Roan could hear nothing but the echoes of screams as the smell of smoke permeates throughout the area.

He slowly opens his eyes as he breaths rather deeply due to his injuries.

"Roan!" Marian said, picking up her captain "Captain. Captain! Please answer me! No… Please don't die"

Roan was barely conscious and could hardly utter a word to comfort his comrade.

She quickly places her barely conscious captain on her Pegasus and flies to the other Sokols.

They were holding off hordes of soldiers, all exuding a purplish aura and menacing red eyes.

The Pegasus knight lands just behind the frontlines and places her captain in a makeshift hospital.

"Luna! Luna!" the Pegasus knight frantically cried "The captain! The Captain!"

"I understand" the middle aged silver-haired saint said "Put him down here, gently"

Marian complies and the saint quickly heals the wounded captain.

No longer feeling pain, the captain springs to life.

"Roan" Luna said grasping the captain's shoulders "You need to rest"

"No" Roan replied, trying to stand up "We must defend the city… I can still-"

He feels a sharp pain in his chest, forcing him to kneel.

"Don't push yourself, Captain!" Marian said, helping him up

"I can't rest now…" the Captain replied "Not when everyone is fighting…"

"Captain please…" Marian pleaded as several enemy soldiers appeared from the rooftops

Roan unsheathes his sword. "Marian. Get to your Pegasus"

"But Captain"

"That is not a request"

Marian ponders for a moment before deciding to comply.

"I'll help too" Luna said picking up her staff

"No. You have to focus on evacuating the people!"

"I have others taking care of that. Besides-"

The saint casts a seraphim spell, incapacitating several enemy soldiers.

"-You need my help against these things"

"Alright…"

Roan and Luna charge towards a group of enemy myrmidons.

He blocks the attacks from 2 different myrmidons and charges at the one behind them while Luna engages the first 2 myrmidons.

Roan easily dispatches the enemy soldiers as Luna skillfully dodges every attack while casting a variety on spells on the enemy.

* * *

After fighting for some time, a masked Lancer confronts the Sokols Captain.

Roan widens his eyes for a moment before closing them, the sight of this lancer caused quite a stir in his heart.

Armed with a Brave Lance, the lancer charges forward. Luna attempts to support the captain but is attacked by several enemy wyvern riders.

Roan opens his eyes and parries the strike. The lancer follows up with a side sweep but the captain quickly steps back, avoiding the attack.

The two square off, slowly moving to the side.

"Roan!" Marian said flying to her captain.

She is interrupted mid-flight as an enemy outlaw and rifleman attack from a roof.

"Lorelei… Aiken…" She muttered sorrowfully before charging towards the 2 adversaries "I'm sorry…"

Meanwhile, Roan was getting tired as his wounds were not fully healed.

He was at a disadvantage as the enemy lancer slowly took the upper hand.

"No…" he muttered with his back against a wall "It can't end like this"

The lancer attacks, attempting to stab Roan.

The captain desperately attempts to redirect the lance with his sword.

He succeeds with the lance landing a mere few inches away from his neck.

Roan grunts as the lancer slowly pushes his sword towards his neck.

Unable to release himself from the enemy's grip, Roan closes his eyes, accepting his death.

Suddenly, a familiar voice calls to him. "Roan"

"What?" he muttered opening his eyes "It can't be"

The voice echoes again. "Roan"

"Lissette?"

"Roan you know what to do…"

Roan opens his eyes and quickly rises from his bed, gasping a bit.

"Another weird dream…" he muttered as he prepares himself for the day.

* * *

In the months that followed the Taguel uprising in Menedy, rumors of corruption and slavery began to circulate throughout the kingdom.

Outrage and anger spread amongst the common people. The fact that many of them have begun to suffer from the outrageously high taxes at the time also contributed to their anger.

It did not take long for another rebellion to rise…

 **Pales, Archanea**

 **Palace of the Hero King**

 **War Room:**

"What do we know about these rebels?" An Archanean General asked

"My scouts report that they're mostly peasants and commoners from the provinces" Mathis replied "But there are a few defectors from the Archanean Army in their ranks"

"Among them" Kyle Added "Is a former Paladin named Robert"

"Sir Robert?!" Roan thought with wide eyes

* * *

This rebellion was far different from the others.

It was bigger, more organized.

But its members were mostly discontented peasants, commoners, and army deserters.

Leading them was a Paladin named Robert, a former Captain of the 12th Cavalry Division of the Archanean Army.

For reasons that Roan had yet to know, the former Army Paladin and his Division decided to separate themselves from the Kingdom.

Together these dissatisfied soldiers, along with some angry peasants, formed what would be later known as the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

* * *

"They have wide support in the East" Mathis continued "We have also confirmed that their main stronghold is in the Island of Talys"

"Well" Another Archanean General said "Why don't we invade the island and be done with it?"

"Because" Kyle responded "A large Yellow Turban force is currently marching from Youzhou and headed straight for the capital!"

"So?" The bearded general replied "What can a bunch of peasants do?"

"Wow… With generals like you, it astounds me that the kingdom manages to stay afloat"

"What did you say?!"

Underestimating your enemies… A fool's mistake if you ask me"

"Watch your tongue boy. You may have contributed a lot in this kingdom but you must remember who the true Archaneans are!"

"Pfft… You think blood has anything to do with competence?"

"Enough!" the stern female general said slamming her fist on the table "Let us get back to the meeting at hand! No arguing, am I understood?"

"Yes, General Lilian!" the Archanean generals replied

"General Kyle. Continue your report"

"Yes General" Kyle responded pointing at the map "They are gathering in the border between Aurelis and Youzhou, by the Orlesean River"

"Me, General Kyle, and General Romar gathered our forces on the Aurelis side of the river" Mathis added "There have been a few engagements but nothing major as of yet"

"Hmm…"Lilian said "Any insight on the enemy forces? Their weapons? Equipment?"

"They're not as well equipped as our men" Kyle replied "But still they fight with decent enough skill as well as being supported by rebel Archanean soldiers"

The meeting continued with no end in sight as the generals had varying strategies and views on the situation.

Aiken, who was at the corner, suddenly heard a knock on the door.

He investigated and finds it was a fellow Sparrows rifleman.

After talking with the rifleman, Aiken approaches his commanding officer.

"General Kyle" the cadet whispered "I have news from the front"

"What?" Kyle replied as the cadet relayed the rifleman's message.

At the end of Aiken's report, Kyle stands up.

"Gentlemen" the general said "My scouts just reported that they uncovered rumors of a planned attack on the Aurelis Magic Academy"

"That's west of the border" the bearded general said "How could a rebel force hope to break through our lines and attack a magic school?"

"Don't forget that they're peasants and not to mention that they are supported by experienced soldiers as well. They can easily blend with the normal populace and slip past our troops"

"What? T-That's impossible!"

"Again, you're underestimating them"

"Enough!" Lilian interjected "But why would the rebels want to attack a magic school?"

"We don't know yet" Kyle replied "But I can guess that these rebels want to gain access to more advanced magic or the academy may have something they want"

"Hmm… Fair enough. Can we spare troops to defend the academy?"

"Unfortunately, we can't unless we risk lessening our manpower in the border"

"I would like to volunteer the Sokols" Roan said

"The Sokols?" Lilian responded "I know that the Queen, herself, acknowledges your skills but will you be able to undertake such a task against unknown forces?"

"I have the utmost faith in my unit's skill, General"

"Very well. The Sokols shall be the vanguard of the main force. Captain Roan. I entrust the academy's defense on your unit"

* * *

 **Aurelis Magic Academy**

Built just about a thousand years ago at the side of a mountain, it was one of the largest magic schools in the continent.

Whatever it was that the school had at the time, the Yellow Turban rebels wanted it… Or at least that's what the Kingdom thought…

* * *

 **2 days later:**

"Welcome to the Aurelis Magic Academy, Captain" a refined middle-aged woman said

"It's an honor to be here, Headmaster Julyan" Roan replied sipping a cup of plum tea "So there have been no incidents these past few days?"

"None so far"

"And for good reason, I might add. Your people wasted no time in setting up defenses for your academy"

"Oh my. Have the gargoyles, skeletons, and golems bothered you or your men in any way?"

"Not at all. By the way, headmaster. If I may ask, I had heard rumors that your family is related to the forgotten hero of legend"

"Forgotten hero?"

"The one spoke of in one of many legends from the War of Heroes era. A warrior whose strength matched that of the Hero King. A loyal soldier who was one of his closest friends and helped usher the era of peace that Archanea enjoyed for the last hundred years"

"Oh my. You know an awful lot about this legend"

"Why yes. Heroic legends like that appeal greatly to me and I always loved the stories of the struggles of these heroes"

"My. My. You are passionate. But alas, I cannot confirm nor deny at this time if those legends are true at this time"

"That's too bad…"

* * *

 **Classroom Wing (2** **nd** **floor):**

Meanwhile, Chris and Brine were patrolling the corridors and hallways.

"So Chris" Brine said "About that group of pacifist monks you used to be a member of"

"What about them?" Chris replied

"I'm just wondering why you joined their group if you were so attuned to violence in the first place"

"Well… The monks weren't completely wrong about the whole enlightenment thing. And I guess you could say that I actually believe most of the stuff they preached"

"And yet, you left them on your own accord"

"But I just can't bring myself to completely believe in their pacifist philosophy. I can respect them for that but I don't think we'll get anywhere in this world without standing our ground"

"So you believe that violence is necessary?"

"Yes but don't get me wrong. I don't enjoy it"

"What?"

"Violence is violence. Nothing we say can ever place a positive light on it but we need to do it in order to survive. Killing threats for protection, slaughtering animals for food, hell even eating nothing but vegetables for food is still killing"

"Hmm… What do you mean about the vegetables?"

"Come on. Plants are still part of nature. They're also alive. All because something doesn't cry out in pain or react to damage, it's not alive?"

"Hmm… Interesting"

Chris chuckles for a bit and looks at the hallway window.

Despite it supposedly being a school day, there were hardly any students in the classroom wing.

Even the courtyard on the 1st floor was empty… save for one.

"Huh?!" Chris said readying his hand axe "Brine look!"

"A girl" Brine replied peeking through the same window "Wow Chris. Real smooth"

"Look again, idiot. She's surrounded!"

"Huh? Oh. Aren't those… Bonewalkers?"

"Damn! We gotta do something!"

Without any thought or doubt, Chris leaps through the window and dashes to the female student.

"Huh?! Wait! Chris!" Brine exclaimed looking at the courtyard

The war monk did not hear Brine's protests.

He throws his hand axe, 'cutting' off the head of one of the skeletons.

The other 2 Bonewalkers counterattack, swinging their swords from both directions.

Chris brings out his iron axe, parrying every blow.

He uses his axe to push one of the terrors back, after parrying its attack.

The creature lost its balance.

Taking the opportunity, Chris sweeps its legs and destroys the skull while it was still in midair.

The final Bonewalker charges once again.

This time, Chris dodges the attacks and finds an opening.

He swings as hard as he could, landing a critical hit on the creature.

The threat was gone.

Reveling in victory, Chris picks up his hand axe and turns to the female student he rescued.

"Are you ok?" he asked in a soft tone

The student did not utter a word. In fact, her expression was rather deadpan, seemingly devoid of all emotion.

She walks up very close to the war monk, almost as if she was going to kiss him.

"U-um… M-Miss…" Chris nervously said as her face slowly drew closer

Chris couldn't stop his heart from beating so fast. "She's pretty cute…" he thought

"Wait!" he suddenly muttered to himself "I-I can't start thinking that now!"

With their faces so close, the student stops. Confused, Chris stares at her emotionless face as a magic circle appears around her.

"What…?" he uttered as he is hit, point blank, by a fireball sending him flying.

Chris recovers quickly, the fireball hardly injured him.

"HEY!" he shouted "What was that for?!"

"Moron" the student said with a deadpan look and monotone voice "I wasn't being attacked. Those were part of the academy's guard"

"Huh?"

"Don't enter in a situation you don't fully understand, Brainless Brute"

"Brainless Brute?!"

The student flutters her hair and walks off.

"What's her deal?" Chris said as Brine helps him up

Brine chuckles. "I tried to warn you… Still… Looks like you got shot down"

"Shut up…"

* * *

"Tell me, Captain" Julyan said sipping some tea "Why do you have such fascination for legends and heroes?"

"Ah yes well" the captain replied "I have always been fascinated with these things since I was a child. It's hard to explain but I just find those stories to be utterly romantic. Saving the world… Changing lives…"

"Really now… But surely there must be a reason behind all this"

"I'm sorry, headmaster but that is a bit personal now. I hope you understand"

"It is quite alright. I'm sorry for prying"

The two then sipped some tea as the school suddenly shook.

"An earthquake?" Roan uttered clutching his sword.

"It could also be one of the classes" the headmaster replied "In some classes, these occurrences are normal"

"Headmaster! Headmaster!" a middle-aged mage said bursting through the door

"What is it?"

"I-Intruders! They've attacked the Mess Hall!"

"What?!"

"The students, teachers, and guards are keeping the intruders at bay for now"

"What of the Sokols?" Roan asked

"They are aiding in the academy's defense as well"

"My. My" Julyan said "This is a pressing matter. Send an alert. Evacuate all novice and intermediate level students in the area"

"At once, headmaster!"

"What of you, Captain?"

"I'll mobilize the Sokols" Roan replied "Headmaster, I advise you to-"

"If it is for me to stay behind, I will not"

"Why?"

"I am the headmaster of this school. My family has helped protect it for hundreds of years, from one generation to another. I am compelled to do the same as my ancestors before me"

"Very well… Let us be off"

* * *

 **Mess Hall:**

"Man these bastards are tough!" Maya said dodging an arrow "Are they really peasants?"

"It is odd" Brine remarked casting lightning on an enemy mercenary "They seemed to be quite experienced to be mere peasants"

"Less talk" Lorelei said firing an arrow "More action"

Maya fires her rifle, taking down an enemy myrmidon.

She pauses for a moment, letting her guard down as an enemy assassin appears behind her.

"Look out!" Lissette said parrying the assassin's attack

The lancer quickly defeats the enemy assassin as the other assailants travel deeper into the academy.

"Don't let them get away!" Brine yelled casting a thunder spell

"Everyone!" Roan called "What's going on?"

"An unknown group suddenly started attacking the school" Brine answered "They're probably the rebel force that was mentioned"

"Damn… Any other details?"

"If they are the rebels" Lissette added "Then for a group of peasants, they sure are skilled in combat"

"What do you mean?"

"It's almost as if they trained in the army"

"True" Marian added "They also had dread fighter and assassin unit classes as well"

"Dread fighters?!" Roan uttered in surprise

"Yes" Brine responded "They're a rather rare sight in Archanea"

"Aren't dread fighters a Valentian combat class?" Maya wondered

"Yes they are" Lorelei answered "They are one of the Valentian Army's elite troops"

"This does not bode well" Brine said "If these assailants are affiliated with the rebels and Valentia, one could wonder in what direction this war is going…"

"Excuse me" Julyan interrupted "Where are these ruffians headed?"

"They're mostly concentrated by the Storage Wing" Chris answered

"The Storage Wing?! Oh no… The Vault!"

"The Vault?" Roan wondered "What's in the vault?"

"Records, research, books, artifacts. Everything the academy knows about magic is sealed there!"

"Damn! Sokols, let's move!"

* * *

The assailants were well-trained in the art of combat, something unheard of from hastily trained peasants.

Mixed with the fact that Valentian combat classes are among their ranks, the situation grew more complex and the mystery further deepens.

Little did the members of Sokols know that this was only the beginning…

* * *

 **Storage Wing:**

"There they are!" Roan said as they gave chase

"More guards…" one of the enemy dread fighters said "… Stall them. We must acquire the artifact at once!"

Some enemy troops broke off the main unit and engaged the pursuing Sokols.

"Hey Brine" Chris said "It's that girl!"

"What?" Brine said

"Over there! She's among the mages fighting the enemy by that big door!"

"Well… Are you going to save her?"

"Of course I will!"

"Typical… Let's see if she doesn't try to burn you again"

"Shut up!"

Marian leads the charge, engaging an enemy swordmaster.

The Pegasus knight swings her lance but an enemy thief parries her strike.

Lissette charges with her lance forward.

The enemy thief easily dodges her attacks.

He was too nimble for the lancer and he manages to injure her with his iron dagger.

Roan quickly comes to Lissette's aid, protecting her from another attack.

The thief proved to be difficult to hit but the Lord eventually was able to land a hit and finish off his opponent.

But the Lord could not catch his breath as he and Lissette are assaulted by enemy archers.

Maya and Lorelei act quickly, attacking the enemy archers with their weapons.

Meanwhile, Chris throws his hand axe at several enemy mages.

"Are you ok?" Chris asked checking on the female student

The female student squints and casts nosferatu, eliminating several enemy mages.

"Right… Well…" Chris muttered as the student manages to hold her own in combat.

 **A few minutes later:**

Roan parries several strikes from an enemy dread fighter.

The Lord was unaccustomed to fighting such a nimble opponent, even with Lissette's support.

"Hey!" Chris said catching up to the student "Come on. We gotta work together here. Hey! Are you listening?"

The student ignored him, focusing her attention on the dread fighter, with a scar on his left eye, in front of them.

"You…" the enemy soldier said in a menacing tone "You stink of forbidden magic"

The student squints and casts Mire on her opponent but the attack hits her opponent's afterimage.

Still with a deadpan expression, the student searches for her target.

The dread fighter appears behind her.

The student notices her opponent too late as he manages to cut her cheek.

She squints once more as the dread fighter attacks again.

Chris quickly throws his hand axe, parrying the fighter's attack.

"Are you ok?" Chris said as he heals the student

"…I'm fine" she replied, still with an emotionless tone

"Come on. Let's fight this bastard together!"

The dread fighter charges, with Chris engaging him first.

Chris' strikes were easily dodged while the war monk struggled to parry every strike of his opponent.

The student casts flux, mire, and nosferatu in quick succession.

The dread fighter dodges the attacks but the nosferatu spell hits him.

The enemy soldier quickly recovers.

"Chris!" Roan said as the Sokols surround the now lone dread fighter

The enemy soldier squints and hold his steel sword tightly, ready to fight to the death.

"Who are you?" Roan asked "What are you after?"

The soldier does not answer.

"Answer me!"

"You all know nothing of what is at stake"

"What?"

The soldier then throws a silver ball at Roan.

Maya quickly fires her rifle, hitting the ball.

"What is this?!" Lissette said as the ball explodes into a thick smoke

Using the smoke as cover, the enemy dread fighter runs past the Sokols.

Lorelei recovers quickly and fires several arrows.

The female student also emerges from the smoke, casting flux on the enemy soldier.

The enemy soldier easily dodges the spells while 2 other dread fighters suddenly appear and cut down Lorelei's arrows midflight.

They use another smoke bomb to finally escape…

* * *

 **Academy Vault**

 **A few minutes later:**

"Was anything stolen?" Julyan asked

"There doesn't seem to be anything missing, headmaster" an Academy mage replied

"What were they after?" Roan wondered

"It could be anything" Julyan replied "Our Academy has done numerous researches and collected various artifacts for the past hundred years…"

"Does it involve a purple orb?" Lorelei interjected

"Purple orb?" Roan asked "What do you mean, Lorelei?"

"Before they escaped, I saw one of the enemy dread fighters carrying a purple orb"

"Purple orb, huh… Headmaster, do you know anything about it?"

"A purple orb…" Julyan replied "Oh gods… That was the darksphere"

"The Darksphere? You mean the same artifact that corrupted Emperor Hardin's mind?"

"The very same… But, more importantly, it is one of the components for the Fire Emblem"

"The Fire Emblem?" Brine interjected "Your academy is holding onto the Fire Emblem? I thought it was in the hands of the Royal Family?"

"I think it is no secret on the powers the Fire Emblem possess. In order to protect the artifact, King Marth entrusted the Fire Emblem on the founder of this Academy"

"This does not bode well…"

* * *

"Hey!" Chris said, running to the female student

"What do you want?" the female student asked with a deadpan expression and tone

"Come on… Don't give me that… I just wanted to thank you and all"

The female student leers at the war monk.

"Hey… I know we got off on the wrong foot so let's start over. I'm Chris"

The female student continues to leer at Chris.

"Can I at least know your name?"

"Why?"

"Why?! Is that a question? We'll be working alongside one another from now on. We need to know each other a little bit more so we can work together in battle!"

"…Brainless Brute…"

"What? Come on. I'm trying to be nice here!"

The student leers again.

"Carol" she said turning her back

"What?"

"My name is Carol" the student said still with an emotionless tone

 **Headmaster's office:**

"Are you sure she can come along with us?" Roan asked looking at Chris and Carol's conversation through the window

"Carol is a stubborn girl" Julyan replied "Even if you reject her offer, she would still go on a journey alone. So travelling with you would be for the best"

"Right… I promise to take good care of her"

"Thank you"

"One more question, headmaster"

"What is it?"

"I noticed that she practices some peculiar magic. I've never seen anything like it before…"

"Oh… That child… She delved into dark magic, you see"

"Dark magic?! Isn't it forbidden to study them?"

"Yes but Carol was a rather curious girl. She did not allow such risks to stop her. 2 years ago, she conducted some illegal research that ended in disaster"

"What happened?"

"The ritual she performed required her to sacrifice something to whatever she conjured up. In this case, her emotions were the cost"

"Her emotions?"

"Yes. After the ritual, her emotions were sealed. She became incapable of experiencing any emotion or, at least, expressing them"

"Oh gods… Why is she still here if she conducted an illegal ritual?"

"We were ready to expel her but a representative of the Kingdom intervened and advised us to let her stay"

"What?"

"It seems that her research bore some fruits that the kingdom was willing to supply her with materials and money to continue her research"

"Strange… Anyway, are you sure it is alright for you to share this with me?"

"Don't worry. I trust you enough to keep a secret"

The headmaster winks as Roan chuckles.

* * *

 **Thebes Labyrinth:**

The 3 dread fighters arrive at the ruins.

They are greeted by other dread fighters, myrmidons, archers, and mercenaries.

The 3 walk past them and are eventually greeted by a male sage and a woman.

"Did you get it?" the sage asked

"Yes" the scarred dread fighter replied, handing over the darksphere

"Very good, Raimi. Did you encounter any trouble?"

"The Sokols"

"Ah yes. Lani's executioners… How goes the battle of Youzhou?"

"The Archanean Army is gaining momentum" another dread fighter replied "The rebel peasants will be overwhelmed sooner than we thought"

"Hmm… The Kingdom is quick to act… Aurora. I think we need to be more direct this time"

"Does that mean..?" the woman replied

"Yes. Use your dragonstone. Use it to turn the battle against the Archaneans. That should buy us more time"

"Very well"

The woman then transforms into a green dragon

"Take care, my dear" the sage said

"I will"

The female manakete then flies off to the southeast.

"Should we accompany her?" Raimi asked

"No. Our mission is elsewhere. Continue searching for information on the other gemstones, as well as the whereabouts of the Fire Emblem and the Falchion"

"At once"

Raimi and the other dread fighters disappear into the darkness of the night.

Left alone, the sage goes deeper into the ruins.

 **A few minutes later:**

The sage stops near a huge door.

He turns to his right and opens a chest.

Inside are several familiar gemstones…

"That's half of what we need" the sage thought placing the darksphere inside "Just a little bit more"

He then goes back to the huge door. The marking on it were eerily familiar, depicting a seemingly 6-winged dragon.

"It will all be over soon" the sage muttered staring at the door as a loud bloodcurdling cry echoes from behind it.


	4. The Yellow Turbans

**Youzhou, Aurelis Border**

 **Rebel Stronghold:**

Inside the stronghold, 2 Yellow Turban officers talk about the current situation as one of them looks through the window.

"The Archaneans have assembled quite an army" the younger of the two said as he continues looking through the window "… Their numbers are limitless…"

"Are you worried, Edelbert?" the older officer asked

"I'd be lying if I did" the man replied "How about you, Robert. No matter what we do, we couldn't break through the Archanean line. Aren't you worried too?"

"A bit… It saddens me that things ended up this way"

"We have no choice… We're doing this for the people"

"True… But we should think of more effective strategies that would work against the Archaneans. Instead of our own forces charge to their deaths"

Robert raises his eyebrows. "Charge to their deaths…"

 **Afternoon**

 **Archanean Camp:**

Roan enters a tent.

Inside, Kyle is briefing his officers for the upcoming battle.

"Ah Roan" he said "Good of you to come"

"I received your message" Roan responded, looking at the battlefield map "What do you need us do?"

"We managed to push the rebels to the coast. They're cornered and seem to be willing to die to the last man for their cause"

"Have your forces ran into any trouble?"

"Nothing my Riflemen and Cossacks couldn't handle. But upon receiving your report, I have this strange feeling of dread…"

"Dread?"

"Call it instinct. I just have a bad feeling…"

"So what do we do, General?"

"Alright. Here's the plan…"

* * *

Meanwhile, the other members of Sokols are resting around the encampment.

"Hey" Chris said approaching Carol, who is reading a book.

She stares at him for a second before returning to her book.

"Carol" he called again.

The Dark Mage ignores him again.

"Carol!" he called again and again.

"What do you want?" she asked, still reading her book.

"Come on. I'm trying to be friendly here"

"I don't need friends. Especially not a brainless oaf like you"

"What?! Carol, come on! It was an honest mistake!"

"Leave, oaf. I'm trying to read"

"What are you reading?"

Carol seems annoyed but neither her tone nor her face showed it.

"What are you reading?" Chris asked again

Carol sighs. "A Kingdom of Dreams"

"Oh" Chris replied, seemingly recognizing the book "A romance novel. Never pictured you to be a romantic"

Carol's eyes widen, seemingly surprised. "You know this book?"

"Yeah! I've done a bit of reading here and there. Novels like Duma's Key, Great Prospects are just some of the books I've read"

Carol was silent for a time.

"Surprised, aren't ya?" Chris said puffing his chest

Carol closes her eyes and returns to her book. "…Bother"

"So… wanna exchange some books?"

Carol, still with a deadpan look, stares at the War Monk.

"…fine" she answered with a sigh.

"Yes!" Chris responded "You won't regret it!"

 **Meanwhile:**

Brine chuckles as he sees Chris and Carol's conversation.

"Hey Lorelei" he said "Remember the time we found you?"

Lorelei doesn't respond.

"Hahaha. Still the same as ever"

Annoyed, she asks "What do you want, tactician?"

"Nothing really. Just reminiscing and making conversations"

"That can't be your only motive"

"Aw. Can't I just want to have a normal conversation?"

"No" the outlaw responded as she walks away.

"Ah yes… As expected. Oh well… Can't blame me for trying"

 **Sometime later:**

Roan is standing at the edge of the camp, staring at the open plains as night slowly comes.

"Roan?"

"Lisette?" the captain said looking behind him

"Worried about the upcoming battle?" she asked, approaching her captain

"Yeah… Not because it would be a difficult battle but because we'll be fighting peasants… Farmers, common folk"

Lisette doesn't utter a word.

"Sometimes I wonder if we truly are preserving the hero-King's legacy… The rebellions have been too frequent and in their wake, the bodies of innocent folk and these commoners litter the land…"

Roan stares at his palm and quickly closes it as a sense of frustration permeates inside of him.

"Roan…" Lisette said resting her left palm on Roan's right shoulder "… I can't say that killing commoners is a good thing but we have to believe in the Queen. Maybe all this carnage would lead to a better future for us and future citizens alike"

"Always so positive… Even during our days in the academy, you retain that positive demeanor even after the instructor punished you for insubordination"

"Hey! We were ordered to defeat those bandits!"

"Yes but our orders were to stay in formation and wait for his signal. You didn't"

"Details. Details. Point is we won"

"Hahaha. You never change… Tell me. What keeps you so positive about life?"

"Me? Well… If I keep on thinking that things are bleak and hopeless, nothing will come from it. Don't get me wrong, I feel the same doubts and anxiety as you, Captain. But there's nothing we can do. These things just happen so I might as well stay positive and do whatever I can to get things done"

"Lisette…"

"I mean… Look at the Hero-King, Marth. He was exiled, betrayed, and suffered loss. I'm willing to bet that he also had to do a lot of hard decisions and he also had this same feeling of doubt and anxiety as we do now. But he didn't allow these things to discourage him. And because of that, we have the United Kingdom of Archanea today… So… um… I hope you understand what I'm saying, Captain"

"Yeah… A bit. It makes me a bit better"

"That's great. Also, you have to stop moping too much!"

The lancer then slams her left palm on Roan's back.

"You're our captain!" she said "Everyone in Sokols in depending on you!"

"Y-Yeah…" Roan responded with a cough "… Th-Thanks, Lisette"

"My pleasure, Captain" she said with a chuckle and smile.

The two stare at one another for a time before they decide to look at the horizon together.

Meters away, Marian is hiding behind some crates. She sighs before walking away from the scene.

 **Nighttime:**

A brown-haired young man walks into the open field close to the rebel stronghold.

He puts his hood down and sighs.

"Can't sleep?" a purple-haired young girl said, holding her pegasus' leash.

"Shara?" the man responded, turning to face her "Yeah… Tomorrow's gonna be a bloody battle"

"No kidding… Another day facing against the Archanean Army"

"Do we have a chance to win? We're clearly outmatched"

"Hmm… Yeah we are outmatched but I think we have a chance"

"What?"

"I was part of the army once. But I saw how the people suffered under the thumb of the Queen. My entire unit did"

"Huh?"

"If we choose to surrender now, we will be insulting the memory of those who died for our cause. That and I'd rather die than be taken prisoner by the army"

The man does not respond.

"Hey, Oscar. Want to ride with me on my Pegasus?"

"What?"

"I'd like to show you something" she said as she gets on her Pegasus and stretches her hand out.

"Um… Ok"

The young man takes her hand and she prompts her Pegasus to fly around the camp.

"Whoah!" Oscar said holding onto the saddle "S-So what did you want to show me?"

"Tell me, Oscar. Are humans meant to fly?"

"What?"

"Are we meant to fly?"

"Um… Uh… No, I guess"

"Haha… Physically, no. We're not meant to fly but that did not stop us from trying. Eventually, we found a way. Through pegasi and wyverns"

"Ok so what does this have to do with the battle?"

"We persevered despite our limitations and this allowed us to have these views"

She taps Oscar who leans a bit to the left.

The moon was shining brightly that night with the stars surrounding the sky.

The two were flying over some clouds which Oscar attempts to touch.

The young villager was speechless.

"So don't lose hope" Shara said "Just keep fighting. Fighting to protect your family, your friends, your beliefs. Know that our acts will lead to a better Archanea. One that the Hero-King, himself, would be proud to see"

"Right… I guess you're right"

"Haha… Of course I am!"

* * *

 **The next day**

 **Morning:**

The Archanean Army surrounds the rebel stronghold as its defenders get into position for the battle.

There was an uneasy silence for a few minutes as both armies stare at one another.

At the back of the Archanean line stood Mathis.

Behind him are several ballistas. He views the stronghold with his telescope.

"Fire!" he commands as the ballisticians fire their cannons.

Cannon fire rained upon the stronghold.

On the rebel side, Oscar and the other rebels take cover behind the stronghold's walls.

Despite some parts of the stronghold falling apart, it held quite well against the cannon barrage.

The ballistas eventually stop firing.

It was at that moment that battle cries echoed throughout the area.

"The Archanean Army is charging!" a rebel myrmidon exclaimed

Robert does not utter a word. He calmly gets on his horse, puts his thumb & index finger inside his mouth and whistles.

Shara nods. "Riders! Let's go!"

The Pegasus knights and Wyvern riders lift off and engage the Archaneans as the other rebels return to their formations.

Shaking a bit, Oscar closes his eyes as he inhales and exhales in order to calm himself.

He soon opens his eyes and grips his iron sword tightly, ready to face the incoming Archaneans.

Meanwhile, the Sokols and Sparrows move to the plains on the western side of the stronghold while most of the army move to the northern and eastern sides.

It did not take long for them to begin engaging the rebels.

"They're just villagers…" Maya remarked as a rebel mercenary catches her off-guard

Aiken quickly dispatches the rebel before he could land a single hit.

"Are you ok, Maya?" he asked

"Aiken!" Maya said with a smile "I missed you!"

"Not now! We're in a battle!"

"R-Right…"

The two then returned to the battle as Carol casts Ruin on several cavaliers.

Chris swings his axe against a knight, who blocks it with his shield.

The war monk continues his onslaught, forcing the knight on to go on a defensive.

Brine dodges a few arrows as he casts elfire on the enemy archers.

Several rebel thieves and villagers surround Lorelei.

They attack quickly, preventing the outlaw to ready her arrows.

As one thief swing his sword at her, the outlaw blocks it with her bow and pushes it to the side.

She then grabs the thief's cape with her right hand and pulls it, forcing him to move forward.

She then kicks him in the stomach.

As the other rebels attack simultaneously, the outlaw grips her bow, prepared to face them.

* * *

Sometime later, Oscar comes face-to-face with Roan.

He shouts a battle cry as he charges towards the Sokols captain, who parries every strike.

Despite his villager background, Oscar is able to hold his own against Roan as he too manages to either parry or dodge Roan's attacks.

Lisette sees this and quickly comes to her captain's aid.

She does a combo of thrusts and swings at the rebel villager, who struggles to keep up with her speed.

After blocking a thrust from Lisette's steel lance, Oscar loses his balance.

He falls to the ground as Lisette points her lance at him.

"Oscar!" Shara shouted as she flies down to aid the villager.

She throws her short spear at the lancer, who dodges the attack.

The Pegasus knight recovers her weapon and engages the lancer, both being equally matched in combat.

As Roan attempts to aid Lisette, Oscar intercepts him.

The villager furiously attacks the captain, who either parries or dodges each strike.

"Impressive" Roan said as his and Oscar's swords meet "What is your name?"

"Why do you want to know?" Oscar replied "None of you care for our suffering anyway!"

Oscar then jumps back and resumes attacking Roan.

"Why…" he said swinging his sword "… should I tell you my name?!"

"Fine then" Roan replied parrying another strike "I'll get straight to the point. Surrender now and you'll live. Don't throw your life away like this"

"I can't. I'd rather die than surrender to you!"

The battle continues for a few more minutes, eventually the two reach a deadlock.

"Why?!" Roan asked "Why do you fight?!"

"For the Kingdom!" Oscar replied "And for the people who suffered under the Queen!"

Oscar steps back and strikes Roan several times, managing to land a few hits on the captain.

The captain checks both his arms, each had slash wounds.

"Impressive" he muttered as Oscar attacks.

He jumps back as Oscar charges again.

"Playtime is over" he said positioning himself for a strike.

As Oscar swing his sword, Roan breaths deeply and swings his as hard as he could.

The two swords impact one another, the force causes Oscar to let go of his weapon as he loses his balance.

The iron sword flies a few feet before resting on the ground.

"It's over" Roan said pointing his sword towards the downed villager

"No…" Oscar responded "Not yet"

As Roan was about to deliver the final blow, he notices a lightning blot on his left.

He jumps back, avoiding the attack.

A middle-aged paladin, a great knight, and 3 hooded women arrive to reinforce the rebels.

"Sir Robert" Roan uttered staring sorrowfully at the Paladin.

"Roan" the middle-aged man said with a serious expression.

"So it is true… You're a part of this rebellion"

Robert closes his eyes and clutches his Levin sword.

He opens his eyes and conjures another lightning bolt.

Roan dodges the attack.

"Captain!" Lisette said running to Roan's side but is intercepted by the great knight.

"Shara" Robert said as the Pegasus knight flies behind him "Retreat to the stronghold. It is time"

Shara nods as she grabs Oscar's hand and retreats back into the stronghold with the other rebels, save for Robert, the great knight, and the 3 hooded women.

"Why, Sir Robert?!" Roan shouted "Why?!"

"Roan…" The paladin muttered switching his Levin sword with a silver lance

"Sir!"

"Enough talk, boy. Show me what you can do!"

Roan charges forward. Robert spins his lance and skillfully parries every strike.

Lisette and the other Sokols attempt to help but are stopped by the great knight.

He throws a hand axe at Marian, who dodges it, while quickly switching to a steel axe and engaging Lisette.

The 3 hooded women, meanwhile, each bring out a peculiar stone.

"Oh gods…" Brine uttered "Those are dragonstones!"

"Dragonstones?!" Chris responded "Then that means-!"

The stones glow and the women are enveloped by a bright ligh, emerging as full-fledged dragons.

The 3 dragons roar as more dragons emerge from the stronghold and began decimating the Archanean forces.

At the back of the line, Mathis sees the carnage brought by the enemy dragons.

"Ballistas!" he shouted "Take aim!"

But before he could give the order to fire, several dragons unleash their fury upon the ballistas, destroying all of them.

Meanwhile, Roan struggles to get close to Robert as the Paladin keeps the Sokols Captain at bay.

"Commander!" Shara shouted flying to the Paladin's side.

Robert nods. "Retreat!"

"Wait!" Roan said, attempting to chase the rebels but is stopped by the dragons.

The rebels quickly board their ships and sail into the ocean.

The manaketes followed suit but not before decimating a few more Archanean squads.

Despite this, the stronghold had fallen but the rebels managed to escape.

* * *

Kyle, on horseback, looks down upon the aftermath of the battle.

"Nice work" Mathis said approaching the general

"Yeah…" Kyle replied "But at what cost?"

Mathis does not respond as he stares at the smoldering remains of the battlefield.

"Regrettable" he said "But they're acceptable losses"

"Still… What could cause such a large uprising that even manaketes would ally themselves with the rebels… Against the kingdom created by the very man they all revere…"

"Who knows but we must do everything we can to preserve the kingdom and that involves killing them all"

"Killing them all… Hey, Mathis. Aren't you wondering? Wondering why so much unrest is happening?"

"No. The less questions we ask the better. We're soldiers, Kyle. Let the politicians and monarchs handle the thinking"

Despite Mathis' encouragement, Kyle could not help but feel sad by the turn of events.

As Mathis leaves, Kyle clutches his rifle tightly.

In the plains north of the stronghold, Roan is wandering the smoldering remains of the area with nothing but the sight of carnage for his eyes to see.

He eventually spots a dead Archanean rifleman slumped down, covering his stomach. The rifleman seemed to be sitting down against a tree but his upper body is covering the stomach area.

As Roan places the body upright, he notices the rifleman's left hand on his stomach.

"Stab wound…" he remarked as he notices the rifleman holding something "… What's this?"

Roan opens the man's hand and sees a wedding ring. This saddens the captain…

"Was he engaged…?" he wondered sorrowfully

He then looks behind him and sees a dead villager. It was a Yellow Turban Rebel.

She was lying on the ground, face up. Her eyes and mouth were wide open, showing a sad expression in her face. Checking on her body, Roan sees a gunshot wound on upper left portion of her torso and her hand was holding a child's doll.

Roan notices tears running down to the side of the villager's face. She was crying in her final moments…

The site of these two bodies… These two Archaneans who killed one another, robbing their families the chance to see them again…

This weighed heavily upon the young captain…

"Why…?" he muttered closing the dead woman's eyes "Why Sir Robert…?!"


	5. The Talysian Last Stand

**Youzhou; Former Rebel Stronghold:**

"Talys is a small island" Kyle said pointing at the islang on a map "But I reckon it's heavily fortified"

"No kidding" Mathis added "Who knew a manakete tribe would side with the rebels"

"Should we call for the support of the other tribes, then?" An Archanean general suggested

"There won't be enough time" Roan responded "The nearest tribe we can contact is to the west of Altea… It will take them days to get here and that does not include the time it takes for our messengers to find them"

"We cannot simply wait for them?" Another general asked

"You think the rebels will allow us to wait?" Kyle responded

"I know Sir Robert" Roan added "He was my mentor during my time at the Royal Academy. If given a chance, he will take it and our inaction will only benefit him more than us"

"So we have no other option other than to strike now" Lilian concluded

"Yes"

"But what will we do about the rebel manaketes?" Another general asked "We would have suffered heavy losses by the time we reach Robert!"

"I may have a solution for that" Kyle responded

* * *

 **Caede's garden, Talys:**

Robert stands in front of the statue of Caede.

His eyes closed, his mind deep in thought.

"Robert" Edelbert called walking towards the paladin

The paladin turns around. "What is it?"

"The Archaneans have the island surrounded. They are not attacking but…"

"I see"

"What should we do, brother?"

"Hold"

"Do you think we can withstand such an overwhelming force?"

"We can but the real question is: 'how long'?"

"What do we do then?"

"Prepare the ships at the Northeastern part of the island"

"What? You really do plan on doing that?"

"A real strategist plans to fail, Edelbert. Only a fool thinks they have everything all together"

"No. I won't accept-"

"I'll have none of that. We already discussed this!"

"… But why, brother?! Why?"

"I don't expect to survive this battle… But at the very least, my death will make a statement"

"A statement? What do you mean?"

Robert smiles as he turns to Caede's statue. "War is more than just blood and carnage. Not all battles are won by stepping on every foe that gets in your way…"

"Huh?"

"Killing your foe is one way to end a war but simple-minded thinking such as that leads to massacres or worse, indifference"

Edelbert stands there perplexed, unable to find the words to reply.

For a time, the garden was solemn.

"Edelbert" Robert said facing his brother "Promise me you will follow every step I told you"

"What?!"

"Promise me"

"Are you insane?! Why would I-"

"This is not up for debate! Either you promise me or I will have someone force you to do it!"

Edelbert clenches his fists. "… Fine. I will"

"Very good. Now move to your station. The Archaneans will attack soon"

The great knight closes his eyes and inhales. "… Yes, brother"

He then leaves the garden as Robert continues staring at Caede's statue.

"I hope you'll learn one day, Edelbert" Robert muttered

* * *

 **Youzhou:**

"The armory should be around this corner…" Brine uttered to himself as he walks inside the room.

The tactician looks around and approaches the stored rifles, neatly placed in barrels at the side of the room.

"Fascinating…" he muttered examining the rifle "… Such design. I wonder if the Eastern Continent has stronger weapons compared to-"

His thoughts are cutoff as he notices a red glowing barrel in the corner.

Suspicious, he readies his magic books and slowly approaches the barrel.

His spells ready, Brine quickly opens the barrel.

To his surprise, the tactician found Carol inside, reading a book with a small fire spell used as a light.

"Carol?" Brine uttered, confused

Carol stares at the tactician with her deadpan eyes.

"What are you doing in there?" Brine asked

"… Bother…" she muttered

"What?"

"… I was hiding"

"Hiding? Why? From who?"

The dark mage's eyes move to the side.

"Don't tell me" Brine said, realizing the answer "Chris"

Carol nods.

"What is it this time?"

"Annoying… me"

"That's pretty vague"

"He pesters me… everyday"

"I see… But you seem to be enjoying, if not at least interested, in indulging him in his antics"

"What?"

"For starters, isn't that the book he lent you?"

Carol's eyes widen a bit as she stares at the book.

"And if you're going as far as to read his books then you're genuinely interested, right?"

"That's not possible. He is an oaf… An annoying oaf"

"Hehe… Nevertheless, don't be too hard on Chris. He may be an oaf but at least, he genuinely wants to be your friend"

Carol doesn't say anything.

"Hehe. Well I won't disturb your reading any longer. See you, Carol"

Carol still doesn't respond as she picks up the barrel's lid and goes back to her reading.

As Brine walks out of the armory, he couldn't help but say to himself; "Ah Chris… You got a lot of work to do…"

* * *

 **Near the cliffs:**

"There we go… Good girl" Marian said, feeding and cleaning her Pegasus.

Despite her Pegasus' delight, the young knight sighs as someone calls her.

"Hey Marian!"

"Huh?" she uttered turning around "Maya?"

"You seem down" the young rifleman said "Something bothering you?"

"Huh?! Um… No… I-I'm not down"

Really? Cuz you look heartbroken"

"H-Heartbroken?!" she uttered blushing

"Ohoho" Maya said with a mischievous grin "Did the captain reject your confession?"

"Th-The Captain?!"

"Heh… I knew it"

"W-Wait! I-I didn't confess anything! H-He didn't reject me at all!"

"Oh… So the competition is still on?"

"What?!"

"Oh don't try to hide it! I know you have feelings for the captain!"

"N-No! I-It's not like that!"

"Haha! You're just like Aiken!"

"What?"

"He reacts the same way when I tease him"

Maya sighs, looking towards the ocean.

"You're really close, huh?" Marian said

"Aiken?" Maya responded "Yeah! Fun guy to be with! Even more fun when I rattle him like that!"

"Sounds like you're the one who's in love"

"Huh?!"

"Haha! Look at your face! So you like my little brother?"

"Wha… Hey! We were talking about you, not me!"

"Haha! Unlike my little brother, I can find ways to turn the tables in conversations!"

"Heh… I guess I underestimated you…"

"But seriously. Thanks for being there for my brother. Back then, he was too much of an academic to even have friends"

"Oh, he still is. The only reason we're friends was cuz I kept pestering him"

"Haha. That does sound like him. Take care of him, ok?"

"Don't worry. I will"

"Great! Now I have to fly somewhere. Nice talking with you!"

Marian quickly gets on her Pegasus.

"Alright see you-"

Maya stops mid-sentence as Marian starts to fly away.

"Hey!" she shouted "We're not done talking about you and the captain! Marian! Get back here!"

* * *

 **Talys; Western Front:**

The Archanean navy positions themselves near the coast.

Once again, Mathis signals the ballisticians to open fire.

As the ships rain hellfire upon the rebels, smaller ships move closer to the beaches.

Inside are hundreds of Archanean soldiers ready for a fight.

The rebel manakete quickly rise from the burning battlefield, attacking the Archanean ships.

"Riflemen!" Mathis shouted as his men take aim "FIRE!"

At the same time, the first batch of Archanean soldiers reach the beaches and began engaging the surviving rebels.

Among the rebels was Edelbert, who rallied the survivors.

"Fall back!" he shouted as the rebels retreat

The Archaneans follow close behind, eventually reaching a narrow passage.

"NOW!" Edelbert shouted

Emerging from hidden positions around the battlefield, several rebel archers and mages attack the approaching Archaneans with everything they got, successfully halting their advance.

The rebels quickly regroup and strike back against the remaining Archaneans.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the southeastern front of the island.

Sokols and Sparrows lands on the beaches, facing smaller resistance compared to the west.

"Wow" Roan said "Your plan worked"

"Of course it worked" Kyle replied "But it's not over yet. There's still a considerable number of rebels here! I'll get most of their attention while you move to the gardens! Your mentor should be there!"

"Ok. Be careful!"

"You too"

Kyle then sends his men first, attacking the responding rebel troops while the Sokols covertly move to the gardens.

 **Caede's garden:**

The Sokols make full use of the trees and foliage as they scout the gardens.

"General Kyle was right" Roan muttered "… Sir Robert is here…"

"Are they waiting for us?" Lissette wondered

"I don't think those are regular peasants" Brine added as a female assassin approaches Robert before leaving the area

Roan scans the area and sees a familiar face.

"That villager…" he muttered, recognizing Oscar

"Roan!" Robert shouted "There is no use hiding! Show yourself!"

The Sokols reveal themselves.

"Sir Robert!" Roan shouted "Why are you doing this?!"

"Words no longer have meaning here boy!" the paladin replied pointing his steel lance "We all have something at stake here!"

Roan closes his eyes and contemplates for a time. "… Very well…"

The other members ready their weapons as Roan opens his eyes. "Sokols!"

Maya and Carol attack first as both sides charge.

Lorelei uses her bow to take down a rebel mercenary and cavalier while an enemy lancer closes the distance.

Marian throws a javelin against a wyvern rider.

The enemy soldier dodges and quickly flies towards the Pegasus knight.

Meanwhile, Chris dodges a fire spell as he charges towards an enemy mage.

He quickly cuts him down as an enemy myrmidon attacks from the left.

Chris struggles to keep up and parry, eventually leading into a deadlock.

The two soldiers use all their might to gain the upper hand but with no indication of a winner.

Behind Chris was another wyvern rider diving towards the unaware war monk.

Nearing his target, the soldier readies his hand axe.

Seeing this, the enemy myrmidon jumps back.

Surprised, Chris looked behind him.

His eyes widen as the enemy soldier was about to strike. The war monk had no time to dodge or parry.

But before any damage could be done, Carol casts nosferatu on the wyvern rider, causing him to cash to Chris' left side.

She casts ruin on the enemy myrmidon behind the war monk.

"Thanks!" Chris said

Carol narrows her deadpan eyes. "Pay attention, oaf"

Chris sighs as he quickly picks up the fallen wyvern rider's hand axe and throws it at Carol's general direction.

The dark mage hardly flinches as the axe travels to the right side of her face, hitting an enemy cavalier behind her.

Chris smirks relishing in the moment while Carol, still emotionless, casts mire on a group of enemy knights.

Chris turns around, seeing the fallen soldiers behind him.

"Again" Carol said in a monotone voice "Pay attention, oaf"

The dark mage then engages the enemy mages attacking her as Chris sighs and returns to the battle.

* * *

Roan shouts a battle cry as he charges toward Robert.

But the lord is interrupted by Oscar.

"You again!" Roan said as he exchanges blows with the villager

Oscar doesn't respond.

Lissette attempts to help but is intercepted by Shara.

"You improve fast…" Roan remarked as Oscar unleashes several furious strikes "Tell me. Why do you fight?"

"You don't know what it's like!" Oscar responded, blocking an attack "Only the cities thrive these days! But the provinces. The small towns. We're left to fend for ourselves!"

"That's impossible! The kingdom has always thought about the people first! Each region is protected by a governor who-"

"Who care for nothing except themselves!"

"What?!"

"You don't understand! Because you never saw it yourself!"

Oscar furiously attacks Roan, who goes on the defensive.

"You don't know!" Oscar yelled "Bandits take the few scraps of food we have! We're forced to work long hours with little pay and the taxes! Those taxes are robberies!"

"I've heard enough!" Roan interrupted as he kicks Oscar's shin

The villager flinches, allowing Roan to pin him to the ground.

"I will see if these allegations are true" Roan said pointing his sword at the fallen villager.

Roan then slowly walks towards Robert.

"N-Not yet…!" Oscar said, struggling to get up

But the villager is quickly restrained by Carol's magic.

With none to stop him, Roan finally confront his mentor.

"Roan" Robert uttered

"Sir Robert…" Roan responded

"Don't waste your breath, boy. If you want this rebellion to end, you must defeat me!"

"Sir… Why?! Why do this? You taught me everything I know about fighting! About Archanea! Why did you turn your back on the Hero-King's legacy?!"

Robert sighs. "Didn't Oscar already tell you why?"

"What?"

"Like I said, boy! You're wasting your breath!"

Robert quickly swings his silver lance, catching Roan off-guard.

The Lord instinctively blocks the attack as Robert continues his onslaught.

Meanwhile, Oscar breaks free from his restrains as Carol is attacked by other rebel soldiers.

He charges towards roan but is intercepted by Lissette while Marian keeps Shara at bay.

The lancer sweeps across the villager's legs, causing him to lose his balance.

Oscar quickly rolls to the side and stands back up as he swings his sword.

The lancer parries the strike as Oscar attacks again.

Lissette spins her lance around as she skillfully parries each attack.

After some time, the lacer swings her lance as hard as she could.

Oscar attempts to parry but the impact forces him to let go of his sword, sending it flying.

Lissette quickly sweeps across his legs again.

Oscar falls to the ground as Lissette points her lance at him.

"Oscar!" Shara shouted coming to his aid.

"Not on my watch!" Marian responded throwing her javelin.

The weapon injures the Pegasus' wing, causing both Pegasus and rider to crash.

* * *

Roan utters a battle cry as he continues his assault.

In the midst of the battle, Robert notices Oscar and Shara's defeat.

He signals his horse to jump back, dodging a strike from the Lord.

The paladin puts his lance away and unsheathes his silver sword.

After pointing his weapon at Roan, Robert prepares to charge as Roan grips his sword tightly.

Robert utters a battle cry as he charges.

The Lord exhales as the paladin closes the distance between them.

Robert swings his sword.

Roan dodges and slashes the horse's legs, causing it to fall.

Robert falls to the ground.

"Edelbert…" he muttered "vivet, fortiter pugnare, pugna honeste, spem vivam servare…"

Roan prepares for another fight as Robert attacks once again.

Both mentor and student fought with all their might as they skillfully attack and parry one another.

Minutes later, Roan finally gains the upper hand and successfully disarms his mentor.

"It's over, Sir Robert" Roan said pointing his sword at his mentor's neck "Tell your men to surrender"

Robert stood there, eyes wide open.

"I suppose it is" he responded "The Yellow Turbans will surrender but this is not the last time. Mark my words, Roan"

"What?"

"And I hope when the time comes, you will see reason. But I will never know in this lifetime"

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Just the ramblings of an old man"

With Robert's defeat, the other rebels soon fell to the might of the Archanean forces on all fronts.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the seas just past the naval blockade;

Several rebel ships managed to break through, prompting the Archaneans to give chase.

"Keep firing!" An Archanean general said stroking his beard as the ship's cannons open fire "Don't let those scum escape!"

"General!" an Archanean soldier shouted "Manakete!"

"Don't falter! These manakete are not immortal! They are a disgrace to the legacy of King Marth! End their pathetic existence!"

The Archaneans retaliate with everything they got; archers, Pegasus knights, wyvern riders, even myrmidons and mercenaries with Levin swords.

Though powerful, the rebel manaketes were overwhelmed. The ones that survived the onslaught were forced to retreat to the safety of the rebel ships.

"Press on, men! These rebels are no match against the kingdom's might!"

The Archanean ships unleash another volley, crippling two rebel ships.

In the lead rebel ship, a green manakete lands on the deck and transforms into her human form.

"Jura!" Edelbert said as rebel healers tend to the wounded

"I'm sorry…" the green-haired female manakete said "… there were too many of them"

"It's ok… You rest now"

As the healers tend to the wounded manakete, the Archanean ships draw closer as their Pegasus knights and wyvern riders swarm the surviving rebel ships.

"Edelbert!" a female assassin cried

"I know" the great knight replied "Get the wounded inside the ship! I want all able-bodied soldiers on the deck! Prepare for boarding parties!"

The rebels quickly regroup and prepare themselves for the battle as the Archanean ships sail close and deploy planks.

Archanean soldiers pour into the rebel ships as the battle gets underway.

Edelbert shouts a battle cry as he defeats several Archanean myrmidons with his steel axe.

"Edelbert!" the female assassin called as she defeats an enemy mercenary with her bow "We can't keep fighting like this"

"Then what do we do?" Edelbert asked as he blocks an attack from an enemy Pegasus knight.

"Got any flyers?"

Edelbert points upwards to the ongoing battle in the sky.

The female assassin sighs. "Of course… Try to take control of the enemy cannons. I'll deal with the lead ship!"

"Ok!" Edelbert responded as he rallies his men.

The female assassin signals a nearby dread fighter as the two made their way into the Archanean ships.

The dread fighter jumps onto a nearby Pegasus and holds the knight at knifepoint.

"Do what I say or you die" he coldly said as the assassin jumps on as well.

The two made their way to another Archanean ship. As soon as the assassin jumps off, the dread fighter slits the Pegasus knight's throat as he jumps down as well.

They quickly hijack the enemy ship and set a course to the Archanean lead ship.

They position the hijacked ship within firing range of the lead ship and proceeded to fire all the cannons, crippling their target.

At the same time, the rebels successfully hijack the Archanean ships that caught up with them, effectively routing the pursuing Archaneans.

 **Port Llyna, Pyrathi:**

As the rebel ships near the port town, the female assassin approaches Edelbert.

"Are you sure this port is safe?" the great knight asked

"Yes" the assassin responded "Though the government still answers to the kingdom, out of respect for King Marth, they are a quasi-independent nation. We can at least spend a few months hiding here"

"Ok…" Edelbert replied as he turns to a rebel villager "But just to be safe, signal the other ships. Get all our supplies and men to the captured Archanean ships and sink ours. I'm not taking any chances"

"At once!" the villager responded as he complies

Just then, a hawk lands on the female assassin's left arm. It was carrying a letter.

The assassin reads the contents.

"Hey, Edelbert" she called "Your brother is alive. He should be on his way to the capital. Do you want to rescue him?"

Edelbert ponders for a moment.

"… No" the great knight answered

Surprised, the female assassin responds "What?"

"Don't get me wrong. I want to rescue him but… It's not what he would have wanted us to do"

"Are you sure? He will surely be executed by the time he reaches the capital"

"Yes… He made his choice. I can only hope that it is the right choice…"

"Hmm… Interesting… So what's your plan, Edelbert?"

The great knight squints "I'll rebuild the Yellow Turbans. I swear that those Archaneans will pay for this… Especially the Sokols"


	6. Breaking Point

**Pales, Archanea:**

Roan and Lorelei, wearing hooded cloaks, jump across rooftops under the light of the moon.

Eventually, they end up near the prison tower.

Numerous guards patrol the wall and courtyard the surround the tower…

The two Sokols had run out of roofs to jump on.

"What now?" Roan asked

Lorelei brings out a telescope and scans the area.

She then points to a blind spot on the western side of the wall.

The two nod as they head towards their new destination.

They covertly reach the wall, barely out of sight from the guards.

Lorelei throws a grappling hook at the wall.

After checking its stability, Lorelei begins climbing the wall with Roan following close behind.

Nearing the top, she signals her captain to stop.

The outlaw peeks over as two guards walk by.

Lorelei sneaks behind the two guards, grabs both their heads, and rams them towards each other.

She then brings out a blowpipe, loads a dart, and fires it at a guard.

After knocking out all the guards in the vicinity, the outlaw signals her captain to climb up.

"Thorough" Roan remarked as Lorelei strips the guards' armor.

"Wear these" she said giving Roan the armor

Roan nods and puts on the chestplate, shoulder pads, and the helmet.

"Follow my lead" Lorelei said as the two descend, pretending to be guards as they slip by.

Eventually, the duo enters the prison through a door on the side of the tower.

The duo split up, with Lorelei heading towards the guards' quarters and Roan towards the prison cells.

The captain walks through the dark torch lit halls of the prison tower.

His mind filled with questions.

Each cell, filled with the rebels he and his unit helped capture.

Dirty, injured, and hopeless.

Each cell radiates despair as the captain continues to press forward, all the while getting menacing stares from some of the occupants.

He soon ends up at the end of the hall.

In front of him is an iron door.

He opens the small slit on the door.

He calls to the occupant inside. "Sir Robert?"

His old mentor approaches the door.

It had only been a few days since his defeat but the once proud paladin now stands before Roan, bruised and scarred.

The captain is taken aback. There was no denying it. His mentor had been tortured.

But torture has been outlawed for centuries. The great hero-king himself outlawed the practice.

His mentor may have been a rebel but he did so under a sense of justice… misguided as t may have been.

Noone deserves this…

"Roan?" Robert said coughing

The captain was at a loss. The words couldn't come out of his mouth.

"Surprised to see me like this?"

"Is this why I wasn't allowed to see you?"

Roan stares at his mentor in sorrow.

"Did you check on Galder as I told you days ago?" his mentor asked

"Not yet. But I've been assured that the refugees will be taken cared of"

Robert sighs. "Still refusing to see the truth, I see…"

The former paladin then walks towards a corner in his cell.

He grabs a loose brick and reaches into the hole.

He brings out a small letter, places the brick back, and returns to Roan.

"Read" the paladin said handing it to the captain.

Roan opens the letter. His eyes widen.

The letter was a warning with only one sentence. An Archanean unit, disguised as bandits, will attack Galder.

"What is this?!" Roan exclaimed, trying to contain his voice "Where did you get this?! How did you get this?!"

Robert doesn't respond.

"Tell me Sir Robert!"

"Does it matter?"

"What?"

"It is up to you to decide whether to act on my information or not"

Roan wanted to ask more but he hears voices coming from the hallway.

He quickly closes the slit and walks away. His mind still filled with uncertainty.

He soon meets up with Lorelei and escapes as the knocked out guards are discovered.

* * *

 **Dawn**

 **The next day:**

Roan and Lorelei walk through the dark alleys of the capital.

They meet a hooded man.

Lorelei approaches him.

She hands over a small letter to him. The man then goes to a nearby bird cage.

He grabs a pigeon, places the letter on it, and releases it.

The pigeon flies off into the distance with Roan string at it with worried eyes.

"How long?" he asked

"At least a day" the man answered

Roan's eyes stare downward. "Thank you"

The two soldiers then leave the alley.

"What do we do, captain?" Lorelei asked

Roan didn't respond.

"Captain" Lorelei called again.

"L-Lorelei" Roan responded "S-Sorry. What was that?"

Lorelei squints her eyes. "You're the captain of our unit. There is no time for you to be troubled"

"What?"

"That weakness will creep onto your fellow soldiers. Keep your head up and strong"

"Y-Yeah… Thanks. How well can you vouch for the skill of your comrades?"

"They are quite skilled. But 2 mercenaries and a myrmidon are not enough to take on an entire army unit"

"Damn it… Tell the others to prepare to depart. Be ready to mobilize at a moment's notice"

"Yes Captain. I will go ahead"

Lorelei then climbs a building and travels across the rooftops.

"I hope your information is wrong Sir Robert…"

* * *

 **Army Barracks; courtyard:**

"Ha!" Lissette shouted, practicing some forms and combat stances with her lance.

The lancer skillfully swings her lance around but soon stops as someone calls her.

"Hey Lissette!"

It was Maya.

"Wanna spar?" she asked

"Uh sure" Lissette answered "But what's your weapon?"

"This!" Maya answered brandishing her flintlock rifle like a lance

"Um… Isn't that rifle for ranged combat?"

"Hehe! Don't underestimate this new form of equipment! Have at thee!"

Lissette smiles as the two get into position.

Maya strikes first. Thrusting her rifle's bayonet forward.

Lissette swats the bayonet with her lance.

She counters, swinging her lance back to the right.

Maya ducks before quickly blocking another strike.

Lissette connects with several more strikes.

Maya struggles to parry each one, eventually tripping.

"I guess riflemen aren't that good at melee combat" Lissette said pointing her lance at Maya.

"Heh" Maya replied with a smug "One more round!"

"Same weapon?"

"No" Maya answered putting her rifle down and unsheathing her iron sword.

Lissette smiles but finds it odd that Maya had one hand behind her back.

The two get into position.

Maya attacks first, swinging her sword.

Lissette blocks the attack.

The two exchange blows.

"Whoah" Lissette said as Maya skillfully parries each strike with one hand still behind her back "You're good with a sword"

"Of course!" Maya answered parrying another strike "So anyway. I'd like to ask you something"

"Ask away"

"What's your… relationship with… the captain?"

"Huh?!" Lissette uttered in surprise, fumbling her attack.

Maya easily parries the strike, takes several steps forward, and thrusted her sword.

Lissette rolls to the side.

"That was a cheap shot, Maya!" the lancer protested

"Hey. All's fair in love and war" Maya replied "Besides, we didn't specify any rules"

"Fair enough"

Lissette gets back to position.

"So" Maya said putting her hand behind her back "What's your relationship with the captain?"

"You really don't mess around" Lissette replied, spinning her lance against Maya, who keeps stepping back "If you really want to know, he's a dear friend of mine"

Lissette then thrusts her lance forward.

"Just a dear friend?" Maya responded, parrying the attack "Is that really all? I can sense something… more"

The rifleman does several sweeps against her opponent.

"You talk as if you know a lot more than me" Lissette responded with a mighty swing "You have experience on this before?"

"Don't dodge the question" Maya replied going on the offensive once more "I won't fall for that"

"Smart girl. Fine. I'll admit it. I have feelings for him"

The lancer then does a combo of thrusts and swings as Maya parries each strike.

"Wow. You said that nonchalantly too"

Maya responds with a flurry of slashes.

Lissette then spins her lance once more while moving back, parrying Maya's attacks.

"So more details!" Maya said "I need more details!"

"Like what?"

"How you met him? What got you to fall in love? All those details! They are important!"

Lissette sighs. "Fine. I first met the captain during our time at the academy"

"Ooooh" Maya said targeting Lissette's legs "The typical start to a romance novel!"

"Anyway" Lissette continued spinning her lance around "I met him during combat training. The captain approached me and challenged me to a duel"

"Wow! Why'd he do that?"

"I was one of the best trainees in class… in terms of combat, at least"

"And? What happened next?"

"Well…" Lissette replied as she uses her lance's momentum to quickly sweep Maya's feet.

Maya jumps but as the lance's other end faced the rifleman, Lissette thrusts it towards Maya's stomach.

Caught off-guard and unable to parry, Maya takes the hit and falls to the ground.

"He lost in a similar way you did" Lissette continued pointing her lance at Maya

"Wow…" Maya replied as Lissette helps her up "… You distracted me"

"All's fair in love and war"

"Heh. Fine. You win. So what happened after that? I want to know more!"

"Maybe next time… I'm kind of tired right now"

"Aw… Maybe we can discuss this over at the bathhouse!"

"Um… no. Maybe on our next sparring session"

"Aw…"

* * *

 **The next day**

 **Early Morning:**

The members of Sokols silently walk through the dark empty streets of the capital.

They moved quietly and covertly, as if trying to evade suspicion.

The others soon reach the city's port.

Lorelei walks ahead, meeting up with a middle-aged man.

The two chat for a bit before Lorelei signals her comrades to come closer.

The Sokols quickly board a ship and set sail.

With their departure successful, the Sokols relax.

"I never thought we'd sneak around like this" Maya said with a sigh "Is that information really true?"

"Yeah" Chris replied "Mentor or no, I can't believe we're acting on information from a rebel"

"I'm sure the captain knows what he's doing" Lissette responded

"Either way" Brine added "This would be the perfect opportunity to assess the real situation at large"

"What do you mean?" Marian asked

"Think about it. The recent increase of bandit and rebel activity, the Valentian dread fighters that attacked the Aurelis Magic Academy, and the dragon tribes that supported the Yellow Turbans. I feel that there is more to this war than just a couple of unhappy peasants.

"You have a point"

"Let's hope that the information is false then" Carol added

"Wow" Chris said "You took part in a conversation!"

Carol leers at him before walking away

"What? I was complimenting you! Carol! Come on!"

"Welp" Maya uttered as Chris chases after Carol "I guess some things never change"

Meanwhile, Roan was at the front of the ship staring at the horizon.

Anxiety fills his mind.

"Worried?" Lorelei asked

The captain turns around. "Yeah… The letter they sent back didn't sound good"

"The letter only mentions suspicious activity near the refugee camp. That is not a clear indicator of what your mentor wrote"

"I know… But… I can't shake this feeling… I want to believe in Sir Robert…"

"Stand strong, captain. You are our leader. You crumble, we crumble with you"

"Yes… I know"

* * *

 **Noon:**

After hours of trekking, the Sokols finally see the town of Galder in the distance.

They are not greeted by the sights of a regular port town however.

Rather they are greeted by the sight of a port town consumed by smoke and fire.

Mortified, the Sokols quickly move towards the town.

It was a ruin. Buildings not reduced to rubble are either on fire or about to collapse.

Arrows, blood, steel, and bodies littered the streets.

"Search for survivors!" Roan commanded

The Sokols fan out, searching every pile of rubble, every body.

Hoping that at least some of these bodies are still warm…

Minutes go by but no luck…

Meanwhile, Chris heard faint cries, sounding like someone struggling to escape.

He goes towards the direction of the sound, finding another pile of rubble.

Certain there was someone alive, Chris digs through the rubble.

"Hey!" he cried "Is anyone alive in there?"

No response. And the sound stops.

"Someone's definitely alive!" he thought, digging through the rubble.

"I'm not a bandit!" he called again "I'm here to help!"

Chris continues to dig, eventually finding a young woman.

She was crying. "P-Please! Don't hurt me!"

Chris pulls her out of the rubble.

"Relax" he said "I'm not going to hurt you"

Chris then uses his staff to heal the woman's injuries.

Despite being healed, the woman was still shaking.

"Hey" Chris said extending his hand

The woman moves back a bit.

"It's ok" Chris said "I'm not going to hurt you"

The war monk then helps the woman up.

"Th-Thank you" she said

"No problem"

Minutes later, the Sokols gather by the town's plaza.

"Only one survivor?" Roan asked

The other members nodded.

"Damn it…"

The captain turns to the lone survivor.

"Are you ok?"

"Y-Yes…"

"I know it's painful but I want to know what happened here… Can you help us?"

The woman hangs her head low. "… Ok…"

* * *

It all started at around the early morning…

We were promised that we'd be able to return home today.

The soldiers protecting the town suddenly left. They said they were going to prepare our ships.

The bandits attacked not long after they left.

Some men held off the bandits while the rest of us tried to escape the town…

I don't know what happened to the others but my group was not fast enough to escape…

* * *

The Sokols were speechless as the young woman describes the massacre that followed…

Hundreds of people cut down without a fight as these bandits set the once prosperous town on fire.

"Gods…" Maya uttered

"That's enough" Roan said "Thank you for sharing"

Shaken by the story, Roan turns to Lorelei. "Can you send a message to the capital?"

"Not right here" she replied "When we return to the port, I can"

"Alright then. We move to the port. We're going back to the capital!"

"Huh?" Chris said "What about the town?"

"What about it? There's nothing left"

"But… There were a few groups that fled to the mountains and-"

"And what? We look for them? We don't even know where to start"

"But…"

"We're heading back to the capital"

"What about the woman?"

"She'll come with us until we reach the port. From there, she's on her own"

"That's it?"

"What else can we do? The town is gone. Chasing after those 'bandits' won't bring justice to this town. We'll give this woman some gold to cover whatever expenses she'll need but we can't do anymore. My orders are final. Am I clear?"

"… Alright"

"We will bring justice to the people of this town. That I swear. Now let's move!"

* * *

 **Hours later:**

 **Pales, Archanea; Ministry of Justice:**

"Minister Leyla!" Roan said barging into the minister's room.

"What?!" the minister said, surprised "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Apologies madam but this is urgent. I am Captain Roan of the Sokols unit. I bring grim news about the town of Galder"

"I will sweep aside this disrespectful gesture but your information is not needed"

"But madam!"

"We have already acquired information about the attack! Our informants came here earlier so you are giving me information that we already know"

"How did they know about it so quickly…?" Roan thought

"Is there anything else, Captain?"

"No… Nothing"

"Very well. Now leave"

"I apologize for the intrusion. I shall take my leave"

Upon exiting the building, Roan meets up with Lissette and Lorelei in a nearby pub.

"Was the message received?" Roan asked

"Yes" Lorelei replied "And the minister?"

"Something odd is going on… The minister already knew about the attack…"

"That's suspicious" Lissette said "So what now?"

"I'll go to the queen" Roan replied "There's no question that we have a conspiracy in our hands but I need to make sure that the queen is not involved"

"The queen huh…"

* * *

 **Palace of the Hero King:**

Roan quickly walks through the glamorous halls, eager to meet the queen.

He opens the door to the audience hall but finds Prime Minister Antonio alongside the queen.

"What's the Prime Minister doing here?" Roan thought "I requested an audience with the queen alone"

Despite the surprise, Roan maintained his composure.

"Your highness" he said bowing to the queen

"Rise" the queen responded "What is this urgent news you need to tell me?"

"It's Galder, your highness. Bandits burned it down"

"Yes… I've been informed of the attack. Is that all?"

"Your highness, I request that the Sokols be sent to apprehend the bandits"

"That won't be necessary"

"What?"

"Bandits are not the concern of your unit. I will assign this matter to another unit"

"But your highness. I don't think these are ordinary bandits. Please allow my unit to give justice to the fallen town as well as the Talysian refugees"

Roan notices the queen's eyes twitch as he mentioned the refugees.

"Please your highness" Roan pleaded

"That is enough, Captain!" the Prime Minister interjected "You heard the queen's order! You will not be involved with this incident!"

"My word is final" the queen added "You WILL obey my orders"

"Yes…"

"Very good. Now off with you"

"At once your highness"

As Roan leaves the hall, the queen looks at the Prime Minister.

He moves his thumb across his neck, asking the queen for her approval.

She nods.

The Prime Minister gives a sinister smile as the double doors close.

* * *

The captain stares at the sky as he exits the palace.

It's a cloudy darkening sky as the sun sets in front of him.

He looks down, dejected and deep in thought, before exiting the premises, headed back to the barracks.

While walking through the dark streets of the capital, Roan notices that the street was empty. Not a single soul was around the area…

He slowly draws his sword as he hears the sound of running footsteps behind him.

The captain reacts quickly. He turns around and parries a strike from an assassin.

The assassin jumps back as more surround the captain.

"So this is their response…" he muttered as one of the assassins fires an arrow.

Roan jumps out of the way as another swings his blade.

The captain reacts quickly, parrying the attack as another arrow grazes his left arm.

Roan kicks the assassin in front of him and parrying several more strikes as the assailants all attack at once.

Minutes go by as fatigue slowly overcomes the captain.

"Damn bastards!" the captain said as the assassins resume their onslaught.

Eventually, the captain ends up in a deadlock with 2 assassins slowly pushing their blades towards him as he uses his sword to block the attacks.

The two assassins slowly push the captain to a wall as another was aiming his bow towards the captain.

"Damn it!" Roan said struggling to get the upper hand.

The assassin fires his arrow.

With few options, Roan moves his neck to the right. The arrow almost hit its mark.

The assassin draws another arrow, ready to fire once again.

But before he can release his arrow, Lorelei jumps from the nearby rooftop and lands on the assassin.

She quickly eliminates the threat as the other assassins redirect their attention to her.

The outlaw quickly draws her bow and eliminates one assassin as another engages her in melee combat.

Lorelei dodges every strike as a rifle round pierces the assailant's skull.

"Captain!" Lissette said charging towards the two assassins.

The two assassins jumps out of the way, freeing Roan of the deadlock.

Roan retaliates and works closely with Lissette in fighting the two assassins.

They successfully neutralize one as the other is surrounded by the Sokols.

He throws a smoke bomb below him, obscuring the Sokols' view.

The assassin attempts to escape but Carol quickly casts mire upon the assailant, neutralizing him.

"Captain!" Lissette said approaching Roan "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine…" he responded "How did you know where I was?"

"Another group of assailants attacked the barracks" Lorelei answered "We knew something was wrong. So we came looking for you"

"What do we do now, Captain?" Lissette asked

Roan ponders for a moment.

"The prison tower" he said

"What?" Chris wondered

"It's clear that there is something wrong with the kingdom… The fact that someone tried to have us all killed after I met up with the queen. Not to mention the strange expressions I noticed from the queen and ministers when I talked with them. Sir Robert was right… The kingdom is sullied…"

"So what? We'll rebel?"

"Not yet. But I want answers and Sir Robert has them"

"So we'll be breaking him out of prison? You do know that's tantamount to declaring open rebellion"

"Yes I know… We'll be branded as traitors to the kingdom. But we'll focus on finding answers first before deciding whether to fight the kingdom or not. So I will not force any of you to come with me. You are free to do whatever you want"

"Are you kidding?" Maya replied "Someone just tried to have us killed. You really think we'll be separating now?"

"It is safer to stay with you, Roan" Brine added "Even if we don't follow you, there's no guarantee that tonight won't happen again"

"You're the reason why I wasn't executed" Lorelei said "So I will follow you to hell"

"I have faith in you, Captain" Marian said

Chris sighs. "Fine… I'll come with. It would go against my nature if I ignore tonight's incident"

Carol stays quiet, staring at Roan.

"Carol?" Chris asked

"I don't really care" she replied in a monotone voice "But it's not like any of us can leave now. We've all been identified as threats already. Its obvious none of us will leave even if we want to"

"We'll follow you captain" Lissette said "Wherever you go"

"Everyone" Roan said "Thank you. Lorelei. Send word to our 'friends'"

"Gladly" she replied as the Sokols head towards the prison tower.

 **Prison Tower:**

The Sokols gather near the vicinity of the tower as the sound of battle permeates throughout the area.

"A battle?" Chris wondered

"Marian" Roan said

Marian nodded before scouting the prison.

"Lorelei!" a hooded thief said, approaching the outlaw from the roof

"What's happening?" Lorelei asked

"It's bad! A prison riot!"

"A riot?" Maya wondered "That's a first"

"No" the thief continued "This riot is nothing more than an excuse for the prison guards to execute all the rebels you captured"

"What?!" Roan exclaimed

"We just received information about this. But yes. This riot is nothing more than an elaborate execution!"

"Executing the thorns on your side without the need for due process" Brine remarked "Looks like the kingdom does have secrets to hide"

"Damn it!" Roan said "Are your men ready to move?"

"Yes" the thief answered

"Then give the order to mobilize! We have to rescue those rebels!"

"Yes sir!"

The thief then whistles as mercenaries, myrmidons, and thieves emerge from the shadows.

"Sokols!" Roan commanded leading the charge "Let's move!"

* * *

 **Prison Tower; interior:**

The Sokols break through the front doors of the prison, leaving the soldiers outside to their allies.

"The 3rd floor!" Roan commanded "We have to reach the 3rd floor!"

"Right!" everyone responded

"Intruders?!" a prison guard said as Maya and Marian each neutralize one guard

Brine casts several spells against the guards blocking the stairs as the other Sokols move to the next floor, leaving Maya, Marian, Brine on the first floor.

On the 2nd floor, the Sokols run alongside the escape prisoners as they move towards the armory.

"Take cover!" Lissette said, noticing a squad of enemy riflemen in formation

The Sokols hide behind cover as the riflemen cut down the escaped prisoners.

Carol casts mire on the formation, causing the riflemen to scatter.

Taking the opportunity, the Sokols break from cover and breach the enemy line.

They eventually break through to the staircase but Roan notices more enemy guards headed in their direction.

"Go!" Lorelei said as she, Chris, and Carol take positions to engage the enemy reinforcements "We'll hold them off!"

"Ok" Roan replied as he and Lissette ascend the stairs.

 **3** **rd** **floor:**

The duo quickly make their way to the prison cells, engaging several prison guards.

Roan and Lissette easily defeats the guards, grabs their keys, and opens every prison cell.

Opening one cell, Roan recognizes Oscar and Shara among the prisoners.

The two leer at the captain.

Roan felt the collective anger of the prisoners as if their stares were like blades stabbing at his psyche.

"I'm breaking you out" Roan announced "Grab a weapon and escape!"

The rebel prisoners were reluctant to trust the captain.

Roan sighs. "Lissette. Do what you can to convince them. I'll get Sir Robert"

"Ok!" Lissette responded as Roan grabs a dropped iron lance and moves towards Robert's cell.

* * *

"Sir Robert!" Roan shouted as he opens the prison door.

"Roan?" the former paladin responded "So you have made your decision"

"Not exactly. I still have questions but I must get you and your people out! The kingdom wants you dead, Sir. I must get you out of the country!"

"Very well"

Roan then hand over the lance to his mentor and the two return to Lissette who was struggling to convince the rebel prisoners to escape.

"Lord Robert!" Oscar said as the prisoners recognize the former paladin "What are you doing?"

"We're getting out boy. The kingdom is using this riot to kill us all! I will not force any of you but stay here and you are surely dead. Do you want to stay here and rot? Or do you want to continue the fight for a better Archanea!"

The prisoners look at one another before finally deciding to take up arms and escape.

Reaching the 1st floor, the rebels meet up with the other members of Sokols and their allies.

"Huh?" Roan wondered noticing more enemy soldiers in the prison's courtyard than before "What's going on here?"

"Enemy reinforcements!" Brine answered "Iron Cross is among them!"

"General Mathis?! Oh gods…"

"We have to find a way to break through! Or our struggle for the truth will be over before we even start!"

"Organize everyone into battle formations. I'll see if I can negotiate with General Mathis"

Both sides quickly take positions in and around the prison as Roan meets up with Mathis in the middle.

"Never thought you'd do something as big as this" Mathis said "You know the drill. Surrender and no more unnecessary deaths will occur"

"I can't do that, General" Roan replied "I'm looking for answers. I just need some time. My unit did not cause this riot. This was the result of a conspiracy to murder these prisoners"

"A likely story. Do you have proof?"

"Testimony"

"From your own men? You are aware that those testimonies will not hold strong in a court of law"

"Yes… That's why I need time. Time to find answers behind these questions"

"I'm sorry, captain. But I can't abide by that. I've been commanded by the queen herself to arrest you or put you down. I'd rather do the former than the latter"

"General. Please. I do not want further bloodshed either but-"

"Then it should be easy for you. I'll give you half an hour"

The general then walks away, prompting Roan to return to his men.

"How'd it go?" Lissette asked

"No good" Roan replied "We may have to fight our way through…"

Roan looks at the gathered army, contemplating his choices.

"Lorelei" he said "Do we have a means to escape?"

"My network has prepared enough ships for us to escape" the outlaw replied

"And the Archanean navy?"

"We have prepared countermeasures for them as well"

Roan looks at the royal army before looking at his men, all waiting for his command.

"We acquire first blood" Roan commanded as Lorelei commands the rebel archers to release a hail of arrows upon the enemy.

"TO THE PORT!" Roan shouted with a battle cry "Fight for your freedom!"

With Roan at the front, the rest of the rebels charge upon the enemy as arrows rain upon the royal army.

"So that's your choice…" Mathis uttered as he turns to his officers "… send them our reply"

The royal army retaliates with rifle fire, bringing down several rebels.

Seeing this, Carol casts mire and ruin upon the riflemen formations, scattering them.

The rebels breach the line and engages the royal army in melee combat.

"Focus on moving to the port!" Roan commanded "Do not stay in one place for too long!"

Brine and Carol cast area effect spells, neutralizing groups of enemy soldiers as the rebels push to the port.

After a few minutes, the rebels push through the enemy line and continue advancing to the port, unimpeded.

They orderly but quickly board the prepared ships and set sail as the Royal navy attempts a blockade.

But small squads of myrmidons, mercenaries, archers, and thieves board these vessels, sowing enough chaos to prevent a blockade.

Within minutes, hundreds of escaped prisoners and rebels reach the safety of the ships and set sail towards the ocean beyond Talys.

Former Yellow Turban rebels then board the last ship while the Sokols holds off the Royal army.

"We're all on board!" Oscar said as Robert relays the message to Roan

"Got it!" Roan responded "Brine!"

"Right!" the tactician said as he and Carol cast arcfire on the bridges, destroying them.

With the Royal army temporarily halted, the Sokols begin to board the ship with Roan and Robert opting to board last.

But as the two begin to board the ship, Robert notices an enemy rifleman.

His target, Roan.

The rifle was ready to fire and the captain had not noticed the danger.

Acting fast, Robert pushes the captain onto the deck of the ship as the rifleman fires.

The bullet hits the former paladin in the chest.

"Sir Robert!" Roan shouted as Maya aims her rifle at the assailant but hesitates to pull the trigger.

Lorelei attempts to take a shot with her bow.

"No!" Maya said grabbing the outlaw's arm

"What are you doing?!" she responded

"Don't kill him! That's Aiken!"

The ship begins to set sail with Lorelei no longer able to hit her target.

"You can't hesitate in these moments!" the outlaw shouted as Maya lets go of her arm "If you don't get over this, you will eventually get yourself and others killed"

She then walks away but this momentary drama was hardly noticed as everyone else was busy checking on Robert's injury.

"Aiken…" Maya muttered in sorrow

As the distance between them grows, she sees her friend's disappointed expression as General Kyle and his unit arrive at the scene.

Maya could not help but stare at the port, uncertain about the future… her future.

"Sir Robert! No!" Roan cried "Someone! Heal him!"

"… His injuries are too severe…" Chris responded "There's nothing we can do"

"Bollocks! Just heal him damn it!"

Chris complies but his staff does very little to heal the former paladin's injury. "I'm sorry, captain…"

"No. No. No. NO!" Roan cried as Robert hands him a letter.

"You have made your decision" Robert said in his dying breath "Push through with conviction and with no regret. I leave the legacy of the Yellow Turbans and King Marth… to you"

Upon saying his last statement, the former paladin dies in his student's arms.

"Sir Robert?! Sir Robert?!" Roan said shaking his mentor "No! No! No! Please! Gods please!"

Roan broke down shortly after…

* * *

And that was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events that changed this continent…

Tell me… Is it wrong to search for answers? Is it wrong to know beyond what is told to us?


	7. A Bandit's Civil War

**Town of Abila; Northern Archanea**

In the town's market district, Shara and Maya, wearing brown cloaks, walk through the merchant stalls.

The place was lively but the two were awkwardly silent.

Every other step Shara could hear Maya sigh.

The rifleman's eyes staring straight ahead.

Shara ponders whether to speak to her but is unable to find the words.

They soon stop by a small store.

Entering the store, Shara notices Maya smile.

"Oh my" the elderly shopkeeper said "If it isn't Maya. How are you?"

"Hello" Maya said enthusiastically "I'm here again"

"Good to see you again, deary. What would you have?"

"Just the usual produce"

"You have been buying a lot of food lately… Are you preparing for something?"

"Something like that. My group's going to start travelling soon"

"South… That means you won't be coming back to my store any time soon"

"Ahahaha. Don't worry. I'll come visit when the time comes. I promise I'll come back. Besides, I'll start to miss your tea and cakes if I'm gone for too long"

"Oh you're too kind, deary"

The elderly lady then walks to the back of the building for a while.

Minutes later, she emerges with some tarts.

"What's this?" Maya asked

"It's a good thing I decided to bake some of these then. Here. Have some"

"What? No. I can't possibly-"

"Nonsense, deary. You have been a kind customer to me these past few weeks. Besides, didn't you say you'll miss my baking?"

"Well… If you insist…"

Maya and Shara then take some of the tart along with the supplies they bought.

After spending a few more minutes chatting, the two soldiers then wave their goodbyes to the shopkeeper.

As they leave town, Shara approaches the rifleman.

"Um…" she said awkwardly

"Hmm?" Maya replied with a neutral tone

"That shopkeeper…"

"I met her when we first came here. She was really nice and helped me process what happened actually"

"Wait. Did you...?"

"I didn't tell her anything. I just gave her a vague overview of how I was feeling"

"Oh ok… Is that why you always volunteer to gather supplies from town?"

"Yeah. And also because the camp kinda makes me feel a bit gloomy…"

Shara hangs her head low. "Is it because of what happened?"

"That? Well yeah… But don't get me wrong. I'm not blaming anyone… It's just that… I still haven't fully accepted that I'm going against the kingdom now…"

"And against Aiken too…" Maya mumbled

"What?" Shara asked

"N-Nothing…"

Shara then looks down, thinking about what Maya said.

She then inhales before turning to the rifleman.

"Hey" she said "I understand how you feel… I had the same feeling too when I first joined the Yellow Turbans… I was going against not just the entire kingdom but I had friends who are part of the army and it hurts me a bit that I need to fight them but…"

"Don't get me wrong here, Shara" Maya interrupted "I won't deny that I'm feeling a bit gloomy because of everything that happened in the last few weeks but I don't regret it. We saw how the kingdom really treated people like you and we had to do something. I don't regret that one bit but that doesn't mean that I won't feel a bit worried especially since the future is so uncertain…"

"Do you have a loved one inside the kingdom?"

Maya looks up. "… Yes. He's a really good friend of mine. I still think of him like that but… I don't know if he feels the same…"

"Oh…"

"I know I'll have to face him one day… But don't worry… I won't let this feeling affect me in battle"

"Ok… And Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"I know you're trying to be strong but… Please don't hesitate to talk to me if you're feeling down, ok?"

Maya smiles. "Sure"

 **Outskirts of town; Sokols base camp:**

Brine, Roan, and Lissette look over a map of the area.

"So where are we headed?" Lissette asked

"I'm thinking west" Roan answered "Through the mountains"

"The mountains?" Brine wondered "I've heard reports of heavy bandit activity there. If we go there, it won't be an easy trek"

"I know. But wasn't there a group vigilantes operating in these mountains as well? They were the reason why the northern territories hardly have any military garrisons"

"There was but they seemed to have disappeared recently and bandits are starting to roam those mountains again"

"That's sad… Anyway, we don't really have any choice. The southern plains are too wide open and we can't rule out Kingdom scouts from spotting us. Even if the northern territories are hardly touched by the Kingdom, it pays to be careful"

"That's true… I guess we don't have any choice"

"It's decided then. Tell the others. We move by dawn tomorrow"

Brine and Lissette nod as they comply.

Roan then exhales as he stretches is arms.

"Roan! Roan!"

"Huh? Oscar? What do you need?"

"Another round!"

"Another sparring match? Didn't we have one yesterday and the day before that?"

"Yeah! I'm all healed up and ready for another round!"

"You're persistent, you know that? You do know you have little to no chance against me"

"I know but still! I won't improve if I just give up so…"

Roan chuckles. "Very well. Show me how much you improved in a day"

The two then move to a nearby open field.

Both fighters draw their swords.

"Are you ready?" Roan asked

"Yes"

"I'll let you do the first move then"

Clenching the sword, with both hands, in front of him, Oscar stares at his opponent.

Roan was standing straight, holding his steel sword with only his right hand, placing it opposite to his sheath.

With a deep breath, Oscar charges with both hands near the side of his face.

He swings his steel sword downward.

Roan steps to the side.

Oscar quickly corrects by swinging his sword to the side.

Roan blocks the attack.

"You're still a bit too rash" he commented "I can easily read your moves"

Oscar grunts as he jumps back.

He then resumes his assault as Roan parries each strike.

"You're letting your anxiety get the better of you in this battle" Roan remarked "Stay calm and concentrate"

The captain then parries another strike before going on the offensive, aggressively attacking the villager

Oscar struggles to block each strike as he anxiously thinks about his next move.

He then trips on a branch and barely blocks another attack, causing him to fall to the ground.

Roan attempts to point his sword at Oscar but the villager quickly gets back to his feet.

"Well" the captain said "You're persistent"

"Heh" Oscar responded with a smile "I told you I'm learning"

With a smirk, Roan resumes his assault.

Oscar, once again, struggles to parry every strike.

"Huh?" Oscar thought "He's only swinging left and right"

The villager then ducks as Roan goes for another swing.

He misses his attack and the villager quickly charges towards him.

Oscar grabs the captain with his left hand but he wasn't strong enough to tackle him.

Roan chuckles. "Impressive. I think we should end our sparring match here"

"What?! But…"

"If this was a real battle, I could have stabbed you while you're trying to tackle me"

Oscar sighs and let's go of the captain.

"But" Roan added "I must say I am impressed you saw the pattern. You really have improved but there you still have more to improve on"

"Right…" Oscar replied with a disappointed tone

"Next thing is for you to consider your own strength when fighting because it may be good that you can read your opponent's moves but it is useless if you can't follow up with a proper counter"

"So I have to be stronger?"

"You can do that. Or you can also find another way with what you have"

"Ok… Thank you… Captain"

Roan looks up in the sky. "I'm no captain, Oscar…"

"What? But-"

"I'm no longer part of the army. There's no need for any formal titles"

* * *

Meanwhile, on a small hill overlooking the open field, Marian and Lissette sit down as they watch the two men.

"Oscar's really persistent with these sparring sessions" Marian said

"Yep" Lissette replied "So… Are you still paranoid that Oscar's planning something?"

"Huh?! Oh come on! Didn't you have the same level of suspicion too?"

"Not really… I don't think Roan would easily fall for a trap like that"

"Well… someone's got a lot of faith in the captain…"

"Oh? Is that jealousy I feel?"

"What?!"

"Hit the mark, didn't I?"

"N-No! I-I'm just being cautious!"

"Hahaha! Look at you blush! You gotta loosen up a bit"

"Huh?"

"You've been stiff for the past few weeks now. How are you holding up?"

"I-I'm fine"

"Really? Even with Aiken being part of the army?"

Marian's eyes widen but she doesn't respond.

"You know, feigning strength isn't going to make things better"

"What?"

"If you keep turning away from your pain, it'll just keep growing inside of you until you can't take it anymore"

"I'm ok, Lissette"

"If you say so. Just know that you're not alone and there are people in camp who are willing to listen to you"

Marian doesn't respond.

"I'm heading back to camp. Still got a lot of stuff to do before we're ready to move. Keep an eye on those two, will you?"

With a wink, Lissette walks back to camp as Marian continues to observe the two.

"Someone to talk to huh…" she muttered looking at her right palm "… Aiken…"

 **The next day:**

The Sokols march in formation through the mountain pass.

"No bandits…" Brine said "This is odd"

"I'm not sensing any traps either" Lorelei added

"Maybe someone took care of the bandit problem?" Chris said

"Unlikely" Carol coldly responded

"Still" Roan said "This is strange… Marian. Shara. Scout the area"

The two Pegasus knights nod as they fly ahead of the group as they continued marching.

After another few minutes of marching, the group comes across a gruesome sight.

"A camp" Lorelei remarked

"Looks like someone came and messed the place up" Chris added

Bodies, weapons, and equipment litter the wide area.

"A battle…?" Brine wondered "From the looks of this, it wasn't too long ago either"

"They're all bandits" Lorelei said inspecting the bodies

"Bandits?" Chris wondered "Makes me wonder what happened here then…"

"From the looks of this. The bandits seem to be fighting each other"

"Fighting each other? Why would bandits fight each other?"

As the Sokols continue to inspect the camp, the two Pegasus knights return.

"Marian. Shara" Roan said "What'd you find?"

"Something weird" Shara answered

"A battle" Marian added "Not too far from here. But they're all bandits"

"Isn't this an interesting development" Lissette said

"So our path is blocked by a battle?" Roan asked

"Not really" Shara answered "We can easily sneak past them"

"Heh" Brine said "I guess we can cross these mountains without any problems"

The tactician then turns to the captain, who was deep in thought.

"Oh no" he said "You're not thinking about intervening, are you?"

"I'm a bit curious" Roan responded "Why are these bandits attacking each other?"

"Who cares?" Chris responded "They're bandits!"

"Still. I can't help but feel that there may be an opportunity we can exploit here"

"Opportunity?"

"So we're headed to battle, then?" Lissette asked

"For now, we're just going to observe. Let's move!"

* * *

Reaching the edge of the battlefield, the soldiers all prepare their weapons and equipment as Roan, Lissette, and Lorelei scout the vicinity with a telescope.

"Not that many combatants" Lorelei said

"Yeah" Lissette added "Looks like 2 groups are fighting"

"There's a bandit that look different…"

"What?" Roan wondered

"The group on the left. The middle warrior. His clothing… They seem to be from another continent"

"Clothing…?" Roan muttered as he turns towards the area Lorelei was pointing at

He sees a tall young man wearing what appears to be a robe with some steel plates on the chest and shoulders.

His face had a long scar moving downward from his forehead down to his closed right eye.

"He looks like someone from the Eastern continent" Roan said "Most likely he's the leader…"

"What do we do, Captain?" Lissette asked

"Please don't call me captain. Anyway, we're mobilizing. I want to talk to that man"

"We might need to move fast" Lorelei said as groups of bandits suddenly surround the other group

* * *

"Looks like they're in trouble" Chris remarked as the Sokols reach the vicinity of the battlefield

"Enough talk" Roan said "Marian. Shara, provide support. The rest, we'll push through the enemy horde!"

The Sokols comply with Roan leading the charge.

Maya fires her rifle at an enemy myrmidon, drawing first blood.

With a loud battle cry, Roan engages another myrmidon.

Chris jumps and lands on top of an enemy fighter.

The fighter blocks his axe strike but the war monk proves to be stronger as he easily overpowers the bandit.

Carol quickly casts ruin on a group of archers before they could react.

But an enemy cavalier manages to get behind the dark mage.

Carol attempts to cast another spell but the cavalier swings his iron lance, hitting her arms.

The dark mage steps back and trips as the bandit turns around and charges once more.

She quickly tries to cast a spell but Chris jumps in front of her and parries the enemy's attack.

He then brings out a hand axe and throws it, hitting the horse.

Meanwhile, Brine casts a Mjolnir spell on an enemy wyvern rider as several fighters surround him.

The tactician draws his steel sword and engages the bandits in melee combat.

He easily dispatches a few of the bandits but soon finds himself slowly getting overwhelmed.

But Maya quickly enters the fray as she charges towards the bandits with her bayonet.

She pierces one bandit and parries another strike with her steel sword.

She pulls the bayonet out of the dead bandit and gets behind Brine.

Lissette then charges towards several myrmidons as Roan runs past them.

The bandits try to chase him but Lisette quickly throws her javelin, stopping their advance.

She then brings out her steel lance and engages the remaining myrmidons.

Roan then approaches the young man he saw.

"Who are you?" he asked in a foreign tone

"Roan" the captain replied "We noticed you needed some help"

"Heh… I never thought I'd see Archaneans actually helping strangers. My name is Taichi. I thank you"

Roan then turns around and blocks a mercenary's attack as an enemy archer takes aim at the captain.

He fires an arrow but Taichi beaks the arrow with his steel katana.

"The enemy is weak!" he shouts "We have the advantage of reinforcements! Do not falter!"

With a loud battle cry, Taichi's men were invigorated enough to fight back against the bandits.

4 mercenaries then charge towards him.

Taichi gets into position and closes his eyes.

Seconds later, he opens his eyes and quickly charges forward, swinging his sword exactly 4 times.

He stops just behind the last mercenary and all 4 drop to ground at the same time.

"Wow…" Roan said with eyes wide open

The battle raged for another 10 minutes before the bandits decided to retreat further into the mountains.

With the area clear, the combatants gather together.

"I would like to thank you again for your help" Taichi said shaking Roan's hand

"Think nothing of it. But I am curious why you were fighting in the first place"

"I was once a bandit operating in this area. I know what you are thinking but we were once a noble group"

"Wait. Are you the vigilante group that used to be in this area?"

"Yes. We stole only from the corrupt and those that deserved it and provided protection and care to the rest, including the towns. But as of recent, our leader strayed from that path after the Kingdom… changed"

"What do you mean 'strayed'?"

"A few months ago, some people from Lochfield Port reported the location of one of our camps. The Kingdom sent their executioners and butchered everyone there. Up until that point, we did nothing but protect these townsfolk and just because of some reward money, they decide to betray us"

"Lochfield Port… Wait. We were there when a bandit group was burning the place"

"That would be us. Angry over this betrayal, our leader led an assault on the town. I did not participate as it went against everything we believed in but she didn't care. The betrayal she felt was too great to not go against the code that she herself established. We followed her because of that code. Because we were supposed to be protectors of the weak. After burning the town, she turned her back on the code and we degenerated into banditry"

"So that's why you're fighting her now?"

"Yes. I couldn't stomach such dishonorable acts. Justified as she may be for her anger, it does not excuse what she has been doing"

"A bandit civil war…" Chris intersected "Never thought I'd see the day"

Roan then turned to the other members of Sokols.

"You want us to help him, don't you?" Lissette said

Roan nods.

"Do we even have a choice?" Brine responded "But I guess they may help bolster our ranks once we end this civil war"

Roan then turns to Taichi. "Will you allow us to help you?"

"You want to help us?" Taichi wondered

"Yes. But of course, I have ulterior motives. Once your group is reunited, I want you and your men to join us in our rebellion against the Kingdom"

"Ah. So that is your angle… Well I guess this will help us acquire the justice we deserve. But that would mean we must limit the deaths that we will incur"

"Of course"

"Well then I would be honored to receive your help. Let us be off. They may be regrouping as we speak! I know the way to the main camp where our leader is!"

"Lead the way!"

* * *

 **Minutes later:**

Deeper into the mountain trail, the group comes across a makeshift fortress.

Taichi orders his men to force open the gate.

As the gates are forced open, the samurai is the first to walk inside.

"ALMA!" he shouts as the bandits draw their weapons

Just then, a female berserker emerges from the crowd.

"Wait" Marian said "Isn't that…?"

"The bandit we fought…" Roan added

The berserker laughs as she slowly walks towards the Sokols while brandishing her tomahawk.

"Well. Well" she said in taunting tone "So the traitor brought some friends… And oh. The royals… Not only did you turn traitor, you became a weasel. Just like those ingrates at Lochfield"

"Alma!" Taichi said "I have come to stop you!"

"Yeah. Yeah. Let's just cut the chitchat and go straight to the fight! If you really think you can lead this group better than me then go ahead and take it from me!"

"Very well"

The samurai then draws his katana as Alma orders her men to attack.

"Focus on injuring them!" Roan commanded "Only kill if it's necessary!"

"Right!" everyone responded

Several fighters and myrmidons jump down from the nearby platform towards them.

Brine and Carol both cast wind spells, throwing the attackers off course.

Shara evades a hand axe and charges towards a wyvern rider.

She parries another attack from the bandit's iron axe.

She counters with a swing from her steel lance but the bandit evades the attack.

Meanwhile, Marian swoops down and rams several bandits with her Pegasus while Roan, Lissette, and Taichi push through the crowd.

Enemy lancers and myrmidons quickly regroup and block their path.

Lissette rushes ahead, swinging her lance.

The bandits evade the attack but Roan and Taichi run past the enemy combatants.

A myrmidon tries to chase after them but a bullet pierces his leg.

Maya and Lorelei run to Lissette's side.

The bandits charge towards them.

Maya blocks a lance with her rifle as Lorelei fires an arrow at his arm.

A myrmidon charges towards them but Lissette intercepts the attacker.

She swings her lance around, parrying each strike.

Suddenly, a thief appears and uses his Levin sword to cast a lightning spell.

Lissette barely evades the attack as the myrmidon begins his counter attack.

The lancer quickly blocks the attack but finds herself in a deadlock with the myrmidon as the thief prepares another attack.

But before the thief could use his Levin sword, Marian sweeps down and stabs him with her steel lance.

Invigorated, Lissette gains enough strength to gain the upper hand.

She slowly pushes the bandit back and eventually slashes his legs, incapacitating him.

"Thanks" she said

Marian nods as Lissette quickly brings out her javelin and throws it past the Pegasus knight.

A wyvern rider swings his steel axe, breaking the javelin.

Marian turns to the bandit as the two fly back and forth towards one another, parrying one another's attacks.

The Pegasus knight struggled to land a hit as the bandit was nimble and expertly evaded many of her attacks.

He then flies above her and swoops down as Marian prepares herself.

The Pegasus reacts to the force of his attack as Marian blocks it.

He then slowly pushes his axe down as Marian struggles to maintain her strength.

But he quickly desists as Maya and Lorelei fire projectiles upon him.

Marian recovers and charges towards the wyvern rider.

* * *

Meanwhile, Roan and Taichi confront the bandit leader.

"So" Alma said pointing her tomahawk at the two "You're both going to fight me? Where's the honor in that?"

"You've strayed from your sense of honor, Alma" Taichi replied

"Strayed? Ha! I'm just punishing the ungrateful bastards who deserve it. You were there, weren't you? When those ungrateful bastards betrayed us for money!"

"I know! But I do not think condemning everyone else is justice!"

"How do you know? You only joined us a year ago. You don't know how long we've been protecting those ingrates! And how much each and every man, woman and child meant to me! Hell. The people you killed just today should be enough reason for me to kill you where you stand! Let's not even start with you coming here with the Kingdom's dogs!"

"It is true that unnecessary bloodshed arose from this… But I had little choice. You would not listen to reason! I had to force your hand"

"Well… You succeeded in forcing my hand, at least. Now then…"

Alma then beats a war drum behind her.

The bandits stop fighting.

"ENOUGH BLOODSHED!" she shouted as she points her tomahawk at Taichi "You. You want me to listen? Make me. By yourself"

"Taichi?" Roan uttered

"I accept your challenge" the samurai answered

The soldiers and bandits clear the area around the two combatants as they stare at one another.

Fury consumed Alma's eyes while Taichi was calm.

For a few minutes, the two simply stared at one another, probably waiting for one to make the first move.

As the samurai inhales, he begins his charge.

Alma swings her tomahawk to the side.

Taichi parries the attack as Alam follows up with another attack from above.

He rolls to the left as the tomahawk creates a crack on the ground.

She quickly pulls out her weapon and blocks Taichi's attack.

She pushes the samurai back and tackles him.

The two fall to the ground but Taichi hits her forehead with the katana's handle.

He quickly releases himself from her grip and stands back up.

Alma recovers as well and the two continue their assault.

She swings her axe around, Taichi dodges the attack.

The samurai did not attack. He either kept on blocking or dodging her attacks.

Frustrated, Alma makes a hard swing.

As the samurai parries the attack, the berserker grabs his neck with her left hand.

She then lifts the samurai up. "Playtime is over"

Undeterred, Taichi began kicking the berserker but she endured every kick all the while tightening her grip on his neck.

Taichi realized his kicks were ineffective and decided to take a chance.

He raised his katana and thrust it towards Alma's left shoulder.

The blade's tip pierces her shoulder but the berserker still refuses to let go.

The pain only served to tighten the berserker's grip further.

Desperate, Taichi attempts one last swing.

With his vision failing, he blindly swings his katana downward.

The samurai drops to the floor, coughing.

When his vision returned, he sees Alma's left arm in front of him.

He then turns to the berserker, who had dropped her tomahawk and is holding her injured arm.

The two stare at one another.

"Impressive" Alma said in a pained tone "… Fine I concede"

Alma then collapses to one knee.

"Ah!" Taichi uttered as he ran to the berserker's side

"Haha" Alma said in a pained tone "Why are you showing concern for me?"

The samurai ignores her and turns to the crowd. "Is there a healer?"

"Chris!" Roan called

"On it!" the war monk responded as he uses a mend staff on the berserker "This should stop the bleeding but your arm isn't coming back"

"Heh" Alma responded "I don't care. Better question is why are you healing me? You can finish me off. Why aren't you finishing me off?"

"My objective is not to usurp you" Taichi replied "I only wish for you to listen to reason"

"Heh… I misjudged you and your merry band… I hear you loud and clear"

"So" Roan interjected "Does that mean…?"

"Yes. My men will stand down"

 **Later that night:**

While the leaders were inside the fortress, checking on Alma's wound, a small group of her men bury the dead just outside the fortress.

Coming along with them are Chris, Carol, Maya, Oscar, and Shara.

It was a solemn event.

Everyone was silent as Alma's men either hug one another or cried on the spot.

Maya sighs.

"So much death…" Shara uttered

"Yeah…" Oscar solemnly responded

"Death is normal in the battlefield" Carol said with a monotone voice

"What?" Maya responded

"This shouldn't be a surprise. People die everyday"

"Are you hearing yourself?" Maya replied turning to Carol "Do you even realize how much it hurts to see a dead person?"

"I understand the sentimentality. However, we shouldn't think too much of it or else we may waver in the battlefield"

"Maybe someone whose heart is as stone cold as yours will that shit apply but not to me. Soldier, bandit, thief… At the end of the day, they're all living beings! They're not just pieces of meat that would one day stop moving. I refuse to devalue their worth as living beings"

Still with an emotionless face, Carol turns around and walks away.

Chris looks at the dark mage with concern before turning towards Maya who turns back towards the graves.

After a few minutes of pondering, Chris decides to go after Carol.

* * *

"Carol!" he called

The dark mage ignores his call and continues walking.

"Carol! Hey!" he called again grabbing the dark mage's right arm

"Let go of me" she responded with a monotone voice

"Look, Carol. I hope you understand where Maya is coming from and-"

"I know" Carol interrupted turning to Chris "My heart is stone cold. My inability to feel emotions has made me into an uncaring person"

"That's not true. You do your best to protect us during battle"

"That is to be expected of soldiers. I was merely performing my duties"

"Still. That duty needs a certain level of concern for your allies. You're not uncaring. You just… um… different"

"Different? I'm beyond different. I'm not normal. Look at what just happened. A normal person would be hurt and start crying after that. But look at me. Look at my face. Not a single tear. My voice isn't even trembling. I feel nothing…"

"You feel nothing?"

"Don't you get it, oaf? I'm unable to feel emotions"

"Really?"

"What?"

"If you're really not feeling anything, why are you walking away? Why do you seem so concerned with yourself after Maya said all those things?"

"That's because I… I… I was just reminded of my inhumanity…"

"Inhumanity? Damn. You throw a lot of big words around. But I don't think that's the reason. Maya's words bothered you, didn't they? Doesn't that mean that you're feeling bothered? Doesn't that mean that you still feel emotions?"

"Impossible. Do I look like someone who's feeling emotions, right now?"

"Not on the outside but I know on the inside, there's still a part of you that can feel emotions. If you really can't feel anything, then why did you attack me after we first met at the academy?"

"Because you were an idiot and destroyed several Bonewalkers protecting the academy"

"Doesn't that mean you got annoyed with me? Isn't that an emotion?"

Carol then looks down.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Chris asked

Carol doesn't respond.

"Carol?"

The dark mage sighs. "Maybe. I'm tired. Let me go. I want to sleep"

"Oh… Ok"

Chris lets go of Carol's arm as she walks away.

She stops for a moment and turns to Chris. "I guess you're not a complete oaf after all"

Chris chuckles as the dark mage continues to walk away.

* * *

Inside the fortress, Roan, Brine, Taichi, and Alma gather inside her quarters.

"So what's this proposition?" Alma asked as she drinks some beer

"I'm surprised you're already adjusting to your current situation quite well" Roan remarked

"Heh! Unlike you royals, people like me are used to life's ups and downs! We learned to adjust to the shit life throws at us!"

"Right… Anyway, I would like you and your men to join the Sokols in our rebellion against the Kingdom"

Alma spits out her beer and laughs. "Are you serious? You're all outlaws now?"

"Yes"

"Hahaha! Ah… Life is a bitch, huh?"

"Sometimes"

"So… Is that why you agreed to help Taichi?"

"Yes"

"Heh… Well… Joining your little rebellion may help me and my men atone for the things we've done in the past few months"

"So you'll join?"

"I got no reason to say 'no'. Besides, I never really had the resources to take on the Kingdom. Helping you will make sure me and my men can get the payback we deserve"

"That's wonderful. I look forward to working with you. My name is Roan. I lead a group called the Sokols"

"Alma. A pleasure"

The two then shake hands.

"What about you, Taichi?" Brine asked "What will you do?"

"I shall follow Alma to war" the samurai answered


	8. Paralogue 1 - The Dishonored General

**Castle Shirasagi, Hoshido:**

Inside the castle's throne room, a tall middle aged man stands before the court.

Clad in a swordmaster's armor however his hands were tied behind his back.

His face showed no anxiety but rather, a serious demeanor as he stands tall and faces the various officials surrounding him in this court.

"General Yi" One of the court officials said "You stand before the court today to answer this report of your negligence over your duties in managing the fort in Hoshido's eastern borders"

"This is ridiculous!" a young woman, clad in a master-at-arms' armor, interjected "General Yi has proven himself to be a capable general! Have you forgotten the pirates he repelled in that very same place?!"

"Princess Katsuragi. We understand that the general was your mentor however, we cannot ignore this report. Although, the court recognizes General Yi's meritorious services to the King, we nevertheless must address these allegations as the report stated that if not for General Yi's negligence, the pirates would not have been able to raid one of our storage houses"

"These reports hardly have a single strand of truth in them! And you all know that! Besides, General Gyun has been known to have held a grudge against General Yi!"

"That is pure conjecture. We cannot consider such subjective notions or our decisions will be filled with bias"

"Conjecture?! Do you people even think?! It's precisely for that reason why you should-"

"Katsuragi. That's enough" the man in the throne interrupted

"But father!"

"I said that is enough!"

"… Yes father"

"Thank you, King Shouhei" The court officials responded "Now, General Yi. Have you anything to say or will you allow the princess to have spoken on your behalf?"

The general does not respond but he leers at the court official.

"Nothing? Very well. Let us proceed with the trial then"

 **Sometime later:**

"With that" one of the court officials said "General Yi. For your incompetence, you shall be stripped of your rank and sent to the Northern Border. Be grateful that this is your only punishment"

Without a word, Yi is escorted out of the throne room as Katsuragi approaches her father.

"Father" she said "This is not fair! You know what kind of person General Yi is! Everything in that report were obvious lies! Why did you believe in them?"

"You are royalty, Katsuragi. Our duty is to uphold the laws, traditions, and best interests of Hoshido. You still have much to learn. If you are to lead Hoshido in the future, you must set aside such sentimentalities or risk having such sentimentalities cloud your judgement"

"But father, this is… this is obviously unfair! I understand that we must be impartial in our judgements but we also cannot ignore-"

"You do not understand what I am saying then! If you maintain such biased thinking, you will never be worthy of wielding Raijinto! This discussion is over! Now go and think about the things you have said"

Disappointed, Katsuragi walks away.

* * *

 **Hoshido-Haixi Border, Northern Hoshido**

 **Days later:**

Yi stood on a hill overlooking the border.

The experienced soldier scanned the horizon.

A single Hoshidan fort and a small river separated Hoshidan and Haixian territories.

He had received reports that Haixian raiders were running rampant in the area, pillaging nearby villages and damages military structures.

He sits down under a cherry blossom and meditates.

Eventually, he stands up, gets on his horse, and rides towards the fort.

Upon entering the fort, he is met by a tall middle-aged man on horseback.

"General Gyun" Yi said with a serious tone

"Ah Yi" the general said with a condescending tone "I hope you'll be more… hard working from now on"

Yi doesn't respond.

"Nothing to say? Good. Wouldn't want another report, now do we?"

"What needs to be done?"

"Haixian raiders have recently attacked this fort and a nearby village. I want you to reinforce this fort and have it ready to take on those barbarians"

"And what of the village?"

"Our fort takes first priority. We cannot defend the villages if this fort falls! That is all"

General Gyun then moves past Yi.

"Where are you going, then?" Yi asked

"You would do well not to talk to me with that insolent tone. And I have no obligation to tell you. Just follow your orders. You should be grateful that the court granted you the rank of forward commander. Now do your duty"

"Very well…"

General Gyun then gallops away.

Yi then enters the fort and begins reorganizing the Hoshidan forces.

Later, he approaches a group of ninjas eating near a campfire.

"You there" he said as the ninjas stand in formation "I need you to scout the Haixian side of the border. Inform me of any suspicious activity"

"Yes commander!" they answered as they comply with his orders

 **3 days later:**

"Commander!" a Hoshidan ninja said approaching Yi "We have spotted Haixian raiders! They are headed towards a nearby village!"

Yi and ninja then walks towards the war room.

In a wall was a map of the area.

"Where?" Yi asked

"Here" the ninja replied pointing at a watchtower surrounded by forests on the map.

"Gather the men. We must move quickly!"

"Yes commander!"

* * *

 **Later that night:**

Two Hoshidan archers stand on top of a watchtower as one of them notices movement in the darkness.

Before he could react, an arrow flies past the two archers as several enemy archers, samurais, and cavaliers emerge from the darkness.

The two archers return fire as the raiders surround the watchtower.

2 Hoshidan samurais and a spear fighter then emerge from the watchtower, defending the entrance.

They skillfully hold back the raiders but are slowly overwhelmed as more raiders attack them from different directions.

One of them notices a Haixian archer preparing a fire arrow.

But before he could release his projectile, Yi emerges from the forest and charges towards the raider.

The archer turns around but Yi stabs him with his katana.

"NOW!" Yi shouted as Hoshidan soldiers emerge from the forest.

The raiders were quickly surrounded and outnumbered.

Armed with a steel naginata, a cavalier charges towards the veteran swordmaster.

The swordmaster stood his ground and tightens his grip on his katana.

Reaching striking distance, the cavalier swings his naginata.

Yi parries the strike and slashes the horse's feet.

The horse panics, causing its rider to fall to the ground.

Yi quickly slashes the man's chest as he stood up.

His adversary falls to the ground as 5 Haixian samurai attack the swordmaster simultaneously.

Yi skillfully parries and dodges every attack, all the while, quickly finding openings to attack his foes.

It did not take long for him to defeat each samurai one by one.

"Retreat!" a Haixian raider shouted as the other raiders began to retreat

"Don't let them escape!" a Hoshidan samurai shouted

"No" Yi interrupted "Let them run"

The Hoshidan soldiers cheer as they watch the raiders retreat into the night.

 **Castle Shirasagi**

 **2 days later:**

In the castle's courtyard, Katsuragi is sparring with one of her retainers.

"Ha!" she exclaims swinging her wooden katana.

Her opponent parries and strike with his wooden staff.

He then counters with a thrust which the princess blocks.

Both fighters then step back but before they could continue their duel, a masked ninja drops down to the courtyard.

"Princess" he said in a deep menacing tone

"Ah. Saizo" Katsuragi replied putting her weapon down "I think that's enough sparring for today, Akatsuki"

"Very well, princess" Akatsuki replied as he and Katsuragi walk closer to the ninja

"What have you found?" the princess asked

"The border fort is holding well against the Haixians" the ninja answered "However, it seems Commander Yi is requesting for reinforcements and General Gyun has been ignoring his requests"

"What? I thought General Gyun was supposed to be in the fort with General Yi"

"Apparently, he left the fort days ago and only the commander is there"

"That snake… I knew he was no good lying bastard"

"Should we inform the King?"

"My father? No. He's too preoccupied appeasing his court officials to ever make any real decisions"

"Princess" Akatsuki interjected "If I may, your father has proven to be quite a ruler. His reforms helped Hoshido flourish even more than what your grandfather did"

"There's no question that he's skilled in politics but mark my words. When a war arrives here in Hoshido, he will prove to be very inept. He fears conflict and would rather stick to rigid rules rather than stand up to those corrupt politicians"

"I don't think it is wise to say all these things about your father behind his back"

"I don't care. He is no closer to wisdom either. Anyway, our main focus here is General Yi. Why is he asking for reinforcements?"

"He seems to be suspicious of the recent Haixian activity in the area and believes that a major attack is underway" the ninja answered

"Concerning… And General Gyun is ignoring his request, correct?"

"Yes"

"Where is he?"

"Izumo"

"Of course… The source of many lavish parties. Pathetic. Akatsuki"

"Yes?"

"Can your Kinshi handle two people riding it?"

"What? Um… Yes but what are you-"

"Perfect! Saizo. You can travel to the fort just as fast on foot, right?"

"Yes"

"Ok. Akatsuki. Saizo. We're going to the Northern border"

"Wait, Princess. Your father will be furious if he finds out you went out of the castle without his permission again"

"To hell with my father. This is our country at stake. He has his way of leading. I have mine and no matter what he says, I WILL be worthy to wield Raijinto in my own terms"


	9. The Taguel Uprising

**Antioch (North of Aurelis)**

 **Weeks later:**

"These belligerents stand accused of tarnishing the memory of the Hero-King Marth!" a herald announced in front of a crowd while holding Brine and Roan's wanted posters "They have been conducting rebellious activity throughout the kingdom and disrupting the lives of those that are caught in their warpath! It is your duty not only as citizens of Archanea but also as descendants of those who fought and supported the Hero-King to report any sightings or information related to these criminals! Rest assured that Queen Lani will handsomely reward those who shall fulfill their duty to the kingdom!"

"Who are these people, anyway?" a man amongst the crowd whispered

"You don't know?" his companion replied "From what I heard, they helped breakout a large group of rebels imprisoned in the capital and burned the city while reaching for the boats"

"Really? Sounds brutal"

"It is. The heralds say many died that night. Also, I heard that people have been seeing a large group of bandits from the northern provinces marching south"

"That's a scary thought… I hope that one is just a rumor"

"That's true… But all these rumors do explain why there are a lot more guards around the city…"

As the two men continue their conversation, the 3 hooded figures behind them walk through the crowds. They were walking slowly and carefully, gently pushing people aside and seemingly joining a group of hooded priests before slipping into a dark alley.

Meanwhile, on the rooftops, another hooded figure spots the 3 enter the alley and quickly follows them. Demonstrating remarkable parkour abilities, he scales the roofs as he trails the 3, his feet not even touching the ground below. Upon reaching the alley, he spots the 3 figures descend down a flight of stairs.

In what appears to be an underground passage, the 3 hooded figures eventually reach a large wooden door at the end. One of them knocks on it.

The door hole opens. "Yes?" a deep male voice asked

"We're here to see Gilberto" a calm female voice replied

"Who's that?"

"Nobody. Just an opportunist"

The door hole closes and after a couple of clicking noises, the man opens the door.

The 3 figures enter and put their hoods down as man closes and locks the door behind them.

"Shara. Maya" Lorelei said "Don't speak unless I say so. Do you understand?"

The 2 rebels nod as they proceed deeper into the passageway.

It was barely lit but Maya could notice silhouettes of people in some parts of the passage. To the untrained eye though, they are barely noticeable.

"We're being watched…" Maya whispered

"I guess it's only natural for the Thieves Guild to be this cautious" Shara replied

"You two, shut up" Lorelei interrupted as they reach a wooden door at the end of the passage.

The outlaw knocks on the door.

"The boss is expecting you" a guard said as he opens the door and the 3 proceed into the map room.

"Gilberto" Lorelei said as a middle aged man wearing a brown hooded cloak puts a map down and approaches the 3.

"Lorelei" he replied "It has been years since we last spoke"

"Indeed"

"Last I heard of you, you were about to be executed. We tried to rescue you but it seems you made the choice to join the kingdom"

"I did but now I am no longer affiliated with the kingdom"

"Yes. I heard of a small group of the Kingdom's finest soldiers defected and staged a prison riot at the capital, burning it in the process. Am I correct in assuming that is your group?"

Lorelei nods. "But we did not burn the capital. We never set fire to anything"

"I thought as much. The kingdom does love manipulating information. Though it still boggles my mind how an assassin of your caliber would choose to side with the kingdom in the first place"

"Gilberto. I am pressed for time. Do you have the information I asked?"

The trickster chuckles. "I guess we cannot catch up on old times when a war is going on"

He then directs Lorelei to a map placed on top of a table on the left side of the room.

"Here is a map of the silver mines" he reported "My informants tell me that Taguel slaves have been moved there recently. Many of these slaves came from that same revolt your unit squashed months ago"

"… The kingdom broke their word…" Maya muttered in disgust

"Not surprising considering the kind of people running it" Shara added

"What of the guards?" Lorelei asked

"The mine is heavily guarded" Gilberto answered "They even have a few riflemen stationed there but the slaves still outnumber them and, as you asked, I had some of my people pose as guards and slaves at the mines"

"And the magical stones?"

"We managed to steal from the treasury in the capital. It was not an easy task to steal hundreds of these stones and smuggle them from the capital to the mines so this uprising better be worth it"

"Don't worry it will"

* * *

West of the city is a valley leading to the mountains. Deep in the mountain's forests, a wild boar's screams echo throughout the trees as it is seemingly running for its life. Behind it are two hunters; Lissette, who is chasing it on foot, and a wyvern rider, flying above the trees.

Lissette throws a miniature lance but misses her mark. The wyvern rider then throws his hand axe but misses as well.

"Athena" he said as his wyvern slows down and he jumps down to the trees below. He nods at his wyvern as she continues chasing the boar.

"What?" Lissette wondered "What's he doing?"

The wyvern rider skillfully free runs, jumps, and swings his way through the trees as his wyvern leads the boar straight to him. He stops on top of a branch just before a small clearing as the boar's screams become even louder. He brings out his steel axe and controls his breathing.

As the boar reaches the clearing, the wyvern rider jumps from his branch and successfully lands on top of the boar. He quickly plunges his axe on the animal, stopping it dead on its tracks.

"There" he uttered as he pulls his axe out of the animal and his wyvern lands next to him "Good work, Athena"

His wyvern responds with a delighted cry as he pats her head.

"Wow, Yungho" Lissette said as she approaches the wyvern rider "That's quite an impressive feat you just did"

"It's nothing" the wyvern rider replied "Alma taught us all how to hunt"

"Every day I learn something new about you guys. I guess you aren't just your run-of-the-mill bandit"

"I'll take that as a compliment" Yungho replied as he ties the boar on his wyvern

Lissette chuckles. "You know, at first, I thought you'd be like Carol or Lorelei"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well when you guys joined us, you were kind of quiet and reserved. Always spending time with your wyvern. Don't get me wrong. Marian does the same with her Pegasus but you seem to pretty much avoid everyone else in the camp"

"I got nothing to talk about with anyone"

"Really? Not even with your fellow vigilantes?"

Yungho shakes his head. "No. I've always kept to myself even during our vigilante days"

"Why?"

"People have a tendency to misunderstand me and it irritates me a lot when that happens. So I prefer to spend my time away from people"

"Hmm… I get what you're saying but I don't think everyone in camp will misunderstand you. Hell, you may get along quite well with Maya"

"You think so?"

"Yeah. We all have our respective views and observations of everyone in camp but it's through talking like this that helps us correct misunderstandings"

"You have a point… I'll think about it"

"Great! Now let's head back to camp. It's almost lunchtime!"

"You're right. Let's go then"

"Hey. You think I can hitch a ride on your wyvern?"

"Huh?"

"It'll be faster that way. Does your wyvern mind?"

Yungho turns to his wyvern who seems to be staring at the lancer.

"Athena?" he asked as the wyvern lowers her head "Whoah. That's rare. Athena doesn't usually allow people to even touch her let alone ride on her"

"Thanks Athena" Lissette responded with a chuckle "Let's be off then"

Yungho mounts onto Athena followed by Lissette, who then wraps her arms around the wyvern rider, surprising him.

"Lissette?" he uttered

"I haven't flown on a wyvern or Pegasus before so…"

"Oh. I get it. Well hold on tight"

* * *

Near the base of the valley and hidden by thick woodland lies the Sokols' camp.

It was around noon and everyone in camp was eating lunch together with their friends and social groups, save for Carol who was eating alone at a corner of the camp, at the edge of a cliff no less.

In her hands as a piece of tart. She takes a bite before staring into the horizon, the town among them, with cold unfeeling eyes. She sighs as she hears footsteps behind her.

"Taichi?" she said turning around

"Hello" the samurai responded as he sits near the dark mage "Do you mind if I sit here?"

"No"

Initially, there was an awkward silence as the two sat there silently eating their respective meals. After a while, Carol turns to Taichi as he eats the hunted boar meat using a pair of thin wooden sticks.

"What are you using?" she asked in a monotone voice

"These are called chopsticks" Taichi answered "They are used in eating meals and cooking food in my home country"

"Those don't exist in Archanea or even Valentia. Where is your home country?"

"Hoshido"

"The Eastern Continent then. Intriguing… I have never been there before. Also, those sticks seem to be made of wood. How do you clean them?"

"There is a technique taught to us on how to make and maintain chopsticks so there is no problem in maintaining them. Making them is not that hard also"

"I see…"

Another awkward silence ensues as the two continue eating their meals. Carol takes small continuous bites on her tart and Taichi quickly devours the rest of the meat.

"Hey" Taichi said after drinking a cup of water "Why are you alone?"

Carol doesn't respond. She continues eating her tart.

Taichi sighs. "If you do not want to answer my question then I will respect your decision. But know that a man can only reach so far alone"

Carol finishes her tart before turning to the samurai. With a blank expression, she says "I am no man"

Taichi's eyes widen as he hears Carol's response. Her voice and face were still as blank and emotionless as ever but the samurai could detect the faintest humor in her words.

"You seem to be capable of joking after all" he remarked

Carol stares at the samurai, still looking emotionless.

"I shall return to the others now. Take care and know that you are not alone"

The samurai then stands up and walks away as Carol continues to stare at the samurai. After losing sight of him, she turns around and stares at the city below.

"… Capable of joking…" she muttered "… Impossible"

* * *

 **Silver mines, West of Antioch**

 **Nightfall:**

Hiding inside a small forested area overlooking the mines, the members of Sokols observe the activity around the mine. The atmosphere was tense as the lives of the Taguel lay on their hands.

"Is everything ready?" Roan asked as he scans the area with his spyglass

"Yes" Lorelei responded as she prepares a fire arrow "All that is left is the signal"

"… Do it"

With a nod, Lorelei carefully aims her bow before she loosed her fire arrow. It flies past several guards before landing on a carefully placed barrel containing black powder.

Seconds later, the barrel explodes. The explosion wasn't that big but it catches the attention of several guards.

"NOW!" one of the disguised guards shouted as they unsheathe their weapons

"FOR FREEDOM!" a Taguel slave shouted as he and his kind begin transforming into their beast forms.

"It's begun" Roan said as Alma orders her men to throw grappling hooks down below "The Taguel will walk free after tonight!"

With a loud battle cry, the members of Sokols slide down the makeshift zipline, landing on different parts of the mine.

As Roan lets go of the zipline, he draws his steel sword and impales an enemy myrmidon. He quickly turns to his right and barely parries a bayonet charge from an enemy rifleman. The enemy soldier jumps back and attempts another thrust but Roan parries it as well.

Menawhile, Lorelei and Maya are climbing one of the watchtowers as the 2 riflemen on top were busy shooting at the rebels below. Lorelei reaches the top first and is quickly spotted as one of the riflemen flimsily attempts to shoot her.

The outlaw quickly pushes the rifle to the side as the rifleman pulls the trigger. She then kicks him off the tall watchtower as the other rifleman charges towards her with his silver sword. Lorelei jumps back, dodging the strike. Undeterred, the rifleman continues his assault with the outlaw dodging most of the strikes.

Frustrated, the rifleman intensifies his attacks until Lorelei grabs his right hand and knees him. She takes his sword as he recoils from the damage and promptly stabs him with his own weapon before the outlaw kicks him off the watchtower.

As her adversary falls to his death, a shot flies past Lorelei. 2 more enemy riflemen, from another tower, have set their sights on her. She quickly draws her bow but the other rifleman was ready to fire. But before he could pull the trigger, a loud bang echoes close to Lorelei and the enemy rifleman falls off the tower.

"Maya" the outlaw uttered as the rebel rifleman reloads "Not bad"

"I have my moments" Maya replied as the other enemy rifleman was ready to fire

This time, though, Lorelei was quick to fire her arrow, finding its mark on his chest.

On another side of the mine, Alma and Taichi engage a company of enemy knights and lancers. They were in formation with the knights and their shields at the front and the lancers standing behind but in between the small gaps in the knights' shields.

2 Taguel slaves transform into rhinos and ram their horns against the shields but the knights hold their ground and resist as the lancers behind them thrust their silver lances forward. Both Taguel are stabbed in the head, instantly killing them. The knights then begin to slowly advance towards Alma and Taichi.

"These royals don't joke around" Alma uttered "Hey Taichi. You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Taichi nods.

Alma smiles. "Alright you fat royal scum! Let me show you how 'savages' fight!"

The berserker then charges forward and wings her tomahawk but the knights block her attack. Behind her, Taichi jumps onto her shoulders and jumps past the knights and lands behind the lancers, his steel katana still in its sheath.

As 2 enemy lancers charge towards him, the samurai quickly moves past them and unsheathes his katana. Seconds later, the 2 lancers collapse into the ground.

"Who is next?" Taichi taunted

Meanwhile, Alma notices one of the knights was about to thrust his lance at her. The berserker quickly moves her tomahawk to parry. The other knight attempts a counterattack but Alma dodges the attack and slashes his legs before slashing his back, incapacitating the knight.

As the other knights break formation to attack her, Alma runs to Taichi's side. Both rebels are now surrounded as an enemy myrmidon, fighter, and mercenary join the fray.

Alma chuckles. "How are you holding up, Taichi?"

"I can still fight"

"Good to hear!"

A lancer then rushes forward. Alma quickly sidesteps and cuts his weapon in half with her tomahawk. Taichi quickly slashes the unarmed lancer before he could react.

"Anyone else want some?" Alma taunted as the enemy soldiers hold their ground "Nobody? That's rude. You shouldn't keep a lady waiting!"

At the base of the mine, Roan, Oscar, and several Taguel engage several enemy mercenaries. Oscar charges first but his attacks are easily parried. As he struggles to gain the upper hand on his opponent, another mercenary attempts to attack him. Roan intervenes and eliminates the mercenary with a single strike.

"Pay attention to your surroundings" he said as Oscar pushes his adversary back.

"O-Ok!" he replied as he resumes his attacks and 3 other mercenaries surround Roan.

They each charge forward individually with Roan dodging the 1st attack and parrying the 2nd and 3rd.

The mercenaries surround him once more, forming a triangle around him, 2 in front and 1 behind. A tense standoff ensues for a while as the 4 soldiers wait and see who would make the first move.

With a nod, the 3 mercenaries charge at the same time. Roan prepares to parry as he sidesteps and evades the attack of the mercenary behind him. He quickly counters with a slash to the mercenary's back. He then parries the attacks of the 2nd mercenary before evading the attacks of the 3rd.

As another standoff ensues, Oscar comes charging from behind one of the mercenaries, catching him off-guard. Roan takes the opportunity to attack the last mercenary.

The enemy soldier parries his attack but Roan forces his sword to move to the side as he sucker punches the mercenary with his left fist. He follows up the attack with a kick in between his adversary's legs and ends the fight by hitting the mercenary's head with his sword's hilt.

Roan then turns to Oscar who was struggling to block his opponent's attacks but before he could act, a fireball flies past him and hits the mercenary. Roan turns around, seeing Brine had cast a fireball spell.

"Nice work, Brine" he utters as the Tactician switches targets

As Roan approaches Oscar, he is shot at the back of his left shoulder by an enemy rifleman, escorted by a lancer and myrmidon.

"Roan!" Oscar uttered as he runs to his side "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine" Roan replied "Focus on the enemy"

Roan and Oscar prepare for another fight but a gigantic rabbit jumps down from above and tramples the enemy rifleman. It quickly slashes at the lancer with its claws and kicks the myrmidon with its hind legs. With no more threats in the immediate area, the rabbit turns to Roan.

"Thank you" Roan said "You saved us"

"You" a female voice echoed "You are the one who made that promise months ago"

"You're the Taguel leader from back then?" Roan responded as the rabbit pins him to the ground

"You lied!"

"No. You misunderstand! I tried to help but the Kingdom-"

"Enough! I have had enough of your honeyed words! You Archaneans are all the same!"

The rabbit then begins to apply pressure on Roan's chest.

"Roan!" Oscar said as he tries to save the captain but the rabbit counters with its hind legs.

Oscar tries to block the attack but the force sent him flying a few feet.

"Please!" Roan pleaded as the air was slowly being squeezed out of him "B-Believe me!"

The rabbit doesn't respond. She simply continues pressing harder.

"Fauna! That's enough!" a hooded trickster said as he approaches the rabbit "This man speaks truth"

"Gilberto!" the rabbit replied "Are you certain?"

"Yes. He is the one responsible for this revolt. It was his plan that allowed you all to have your beaststones once more"

The rabbit then stares at Roan once more before backing off. Roan sits up as he gasps for air.

"I apologize" Fauna said as she transforms into her human form "After our capture, we were beaten and punished for our revolt. Many of my brothers and sisters were beaten to death and worse, some were even forced to become pets to those Archanean spawn!"

"What?!" Roan replied "I didn't know that!"

"It's true, Roan" Gilberto added

"Damn it… I made the mistake of trusting the Kingdom… Listen. I now return to all of you, not as a soldier for the kingdom but as a liberator and as a warrior for justice. I am now leading a revolt against the Kingdom of Archanea and I would like the support of the Taguel. Will you help us?"

"You are not lying to me, are you man-spawn?" Fauna replied

Roan shakes his head. "No. I swear to you. I will keep my promise to free your people"

Fauna ponders for a moment before turning to Roan once more. "Very well. The Taguel shall aid you under the condition that at the end of this war, my people will be free"

"You have my word"

* * *

With the combined might of the rebels, Thieves guild, and the Taguel slaves, the mine fell in less than an hour. After locking up the surviving enemy soldiers, the rebels began stealing whatever supplies they can find and loading them into carts.

Roan ordered the rebels to move fast as it would not be long before the first divisions of the Royal Army would arrive. Unbeknownst to him and every rebel in that mine, the Royal Army was far closer than they though.

While the last few crates of supplies were loaded onto the carts, the Royal Army's Iron Cross unit, led by General Mathis, and an entire legion of veteran Archanean troops, led by General Laset, arrived.

They did not attack, though, rather they surrounded the mines, trapping the rebels inside. Mathis, once again, offered a parley to which Roan accepted.

"I think you already know what we'll say" Mathis said

"Why are we negotiating with these heathens?" Laset protested "We can easily crush these rebels like the vermin they are!"

Roan doesn't respond but he does leer at the haughty general who was seemingly showing off his shield and killer lance.

"General" Mathis responded "Let me handle this. Roan. I will give you time once again but know that it is far lesser than what I allowed you on our last encounter"

* * *

Returning to the mines, Roan is met by the other rebels.

"Do not tell me you are considering surrender!" Fauna said with concern "You gave your word to ensure my people's freedom!"

"Fauna" Brine interjected "We're surrounded. We cannot hope to break through this large of a force with what we have and not expect many to die"

"Tsk! Then I would rather die a free Taguel than live another day as a slave!"

"Be reasonable, Fauna! Death is not the only answer here!"

"So what's the plan, captain?" Alma asked

"… I don't know…" Roan replied "There's no way out unless we fight our way out but this won't be like that time in the capital. Most likely, Mathis has learned from that and is ready to gun us all down the second we charge. That is not even considering that they can easily pursue us even if we manage to break through since we are too far from the coast"

"So we just surrender?" Oscar said "That's it?"

"What choice do we have?" Marian responded

Everyone goes silent as the moon illuminates the ground. Roan stares at it for a moment before walking towards the foreman's cabin.

"Brine. Gilberto" he said "Come with me. We need to check the maps"

The two men comply.

 **Foreman's cabin:**

"It's no use" Brine said "None of these maps show a way for us to sneak past the army or even break through"

"He's right" Gilberto added "These mines were built with only one way in or out"

"There has to be a way…" Roan responded "We did not go this far just to surrender"

"The Royal Army came too quickly" Gilberto said "None of my informants told me that they were close"

"Damn it!" Brine said "So this was a trap"

"It is" a male voice said

The three men look at the door and find a dread fighter standing by the entrance. He was just as tall as Brine and only his blue eyes can be seen through his mask.

"Who are you?!" Roan shouted as the 3 men draw their weapons

"Peace" the dread fighter replied "I did not come to fight but rather, I would like to offer your army a means to escape"

"What?"

"There is a secret path through the forest that we can use to evade the Royal Army. It is not detailed in maps so don't bother looking"

"A secret path?" Brine responded "Sounds too good to be true"

"How can we trust you?" Roan added "The kingdom has ruled the continent for a thousand years. How come nobody has ever found this secret path of yours?"

"You are surrounded with no hope of escape" the dread fighter replied "I am simply offering you the hope that you lacked and are desperately in need of. It is your choice whether or not to take it"

Roan puts his sword down and ponders for a moment. "… Fine. We'll take your secret path"

"A wise decision"

"Roan!" Brine interjected "What are you doing? We're just going to blindly trust this person?"

"We have no choice. I'd rather gamble my chances with this dread fighter than with the kingdom"

"But what of the army?" Gilberto asked "Surely, they have the entire mine watched so I doubt they will simply allow us to simply leave the mines and walk into the forest"

Roan then walks outside and stares at the sky. He notices clouds were everywhere tonight but the moon was still illuminating the area.

"I see a cloud about to cover the moon" he said "Get everyone to snuff out the torches. We move once the moon is covered"

"Clever" Gilberto replied "Very well. I accept your plan"

"Huh?" Brine reacted "We're really going through with this?"

"We have much to lose, Brine" Roan answered "We saw how untrustworthy the kingdom is so I'd rather bet my chances on a random dread fighter than with the kingdom itself"

Brine sighs. "… Fine. Not like we can come up with a better plan…"

With that, the rebels snuff out every torch in the mines and upon the moon being covered, the rebels quickly but quietly move towards the hidden path mentioned by this dread fighter. Luckily, he was telling the truth. By the time the Royal Army realized what had happened, the rebels were already marching west towards the vast deserts of Mamorthod.


End file.
